Enamored 4: The Queen's Jewel
by Petrichorius
Summary: Lena's cousin, Emmeline, seems to have stolen something very valuable from an angry Saudi Arabian Prince and had a bounty placed on her head. While attempting to keep her cousin safe Lena must not only prove herself worthy of the position of High Queen of the Veela race but also determine the truth behind her father. Through all her struggles, will her heart's desire distract her?
1. Chapter 1 - Dealing in Secrets

**Chapter 1**

I move my lips to his cheek to place a soft kiss. I feel his fingers run gently along my back as he stands at my side.

"You must come visit me again." He says in a low voice in my ear. I move my hands to his arm to hold him close. He places a kiss on my forehead and I smile up at him.

"I would never disappoint your highness." I say jokingly, bowing my head slightly.

"Give my best wishes to your family." He says. I nod to him and look to one side of the airport lounge to notice William walking in our direction. He raises his hand and points to his watch so I give the prince at my side one last squeeze on his arm before removing my hands. Just as I move my hands away from him he quickly reaches out and takes them.

"Please consider my offer." He says, a genuine look in his eyes.

"I will, Elias." I say with a smile. He releases my hands and I smooth them over my black dress. William is now at my side and he picks up my carry-on luggage which holds my newly acquired clothes and jewellery. As soon as I turn around and my face is no longer in view I slide on my sunglasses and allow my forced smile to fade away. William hands me the mobile phone in his hand and I move it to my ear, knowing that the Elders will already be on the line waiting for me.

"I'm here. I just finished with the Lindström's son." I say, following William as I walk.

"Is there any other information you could gather in your last week?" The voice on the phone asks.

"What I passed along was everything I could get from the son, can I please just come home to celebrate my aunt's life with my family?" I ask.

"The most important thing right now is ensuring the future of our company. The funeral isn't for another week so if you can gather more from the son it's your duty as princess to do so." The voice on the phone says.

"My duty is to be with my family, soif you plan to stop me from coming to the funeral you're welcome to try." I say sternly before hanging up and handing the phone off to William. He smiles at me and moves his hand to the small of my back as we walk. I move his hand off of me quickly,

"Despite the popular opinion of the men around me, I _can_ actually walk without assistance." I say, with a tone of annoyance. I slide my jacket off and fold it over my arm as I walk. We move down the hallway to enter the exclusive section of the plane and William remains close by my side.

"I suppose our night together was only a one-time thing, then?" He asks in a low voice. I take my sunglasses off and stop walking to face him.

"I told you to stop mentioning that!" I say angrily. I try to keep my voice low but some people in suits look at us as they walk past. "Cassiopeia had just died and we were both grieving, it was a mistake." William takes my elbow firmly and he responds.

"Mistake or not you have to admit that it was unforgettable." He says.

"Take your hand off of me." I warn him. We're close enough to the plane for two stewardesses to look our way with wide eyes.

"Put your sunglasses back on." He says, letting me go. I look away from the women, so they can't notice my black irises, before sliding on my glasses.

"Will you just admit that you have feelings for me?" He asks. I turn away from him and walk off towards the plane. The women smile to me so I give them my fake smile in return and continue on to where they pointed out my seat. I take my seat and bring my phone out of my handbag, looking to my messages. William's seat is beside mine but there's a fair space between them due to it being business class. I fold open my magazine and recline my seat, feeling William's eyes on me every now and then.

When the plane lands I walk beside William and we both remain silent. William answers his phone as we walk through the exclusive lounge and into the main terminal. William gestures for me to stop so I begin to pay attention to his phone call.

"Wait, so you're here? At the airport?" He asks with confusion. He looks over my shoulder and raises his eyebrows at something. I turn around to see Emmeline standing there with a Nyx either side of her. She's wearing a slimming white dress and has her hair in a classy up-do. Around her neck hangs a beautiful pink jewel. She hands her phone off to one of the Nyx before fluttering her fingers in our direction. I glance back at William before walking over to her.

"Isn't this a happy coincidence?" She says in her usual displeased tone. She slides her sunglasses off her face and I notice that she looks like she's been crying, she's also tried very hard to hide it. I sigh and step forward to pull her into a hug. She pauses and I feel her stiffen as I move my arms around her but she doesn't reject my embrace. After a moment I pull my arms away and move them back to my sides.

"What do you mean coincidence? I thought you were here to pick us up." I say, raising an eyebrow.

"You're not the only one with duties, Lena, I'm a princess too- I had to do my part for our family." She says, sliding her sunglasses back on. She turns around to walk and I fall in step beside her. The rest of the men move in appropriate positions behind us and at our sides.

"I just thought you would have preferred to stay in Linmoor." I say.

"Of course I would. But the decision wasn't up to me." She says without emotion. I nod in understanding.

"That's a nice necklace by the way." I nod to it. The pink jewel catches the sun's shine and I have to pull my glasses over my face; I look beyond Emmeline to the window outside to see the setting sun. As soon as I mention the necklace Emmeline moves her fingers to it and the side of her lip curls up in a smile.

"Oh this little trinket? I got it in Saudi Arabia. The man who gave it to me called it the Queen's Jewel." She says.

"It must have been hard for him to part with." I can't help but feel envious of the necklace, my time spent in luxury has caused me to gain appreciation for superficial things.

"It was, however, I'm a very good negotiator." She says. I smirk at her comment and we walk to the area to get our bags before leaving the airport. A black limousine pulls up at the road and one of the Nyx who came with Emmeline gestures for her to get in it. He opens the door for her and she walks ahead to stand by the door.

"I'll see you at the mountain." I say, sliding my jacket on. Emmeline pauses before getting in and turns to look at me.

"I suppose it's easier if you join me." She shrugs, before sliding into the back. I glance to William, who has raised eyebrows. I'm not sure if I'll enjoy spending a long car trip with Emmeline. I sigh and nod to William before walking ahead to get into the limousine. Our luggage is placed in the back and William gets in the passenger seat beside the driver. By the time I place my handbag next to me on the leather seat Emmeline has already opened a bottle of alcohol. She offers me a drink with gin and I accept with gratitude. The limousine begins to move and I let my hair out and slide my high-heels off.

"You know, I've been thinking of going to college." I say, taking a sip of my drink. Emmeline widens her eyes as she looks at me.

"You're kidding." She says.

"I'm twenty. It's what people my age do." I shrug.

"You're a Veela princess, you're not like other people. What would you even study?" She asks.

"I'm not sure... maybe law or politics. I'd have to look around and see what suits me." I sip from my drink. Emmeline looks back out the window as she considers what I've said.

"Haven't you ever thought about it?" I ask her and she looks back at me.

"No. It seems like a waste of time."

"Well how do you suppose a queen learns to do what she does? Law and politics would come in handy."

"I've already been raised to know what to do as queen. I don't need some diploma to tell me otherwise." She seems to say it with annoyance and she quickly finishes her drink.

"It was just a question." I shrug, looking out the window. After a moment I continue, "You don't ever feel unfulfilled? You're only in your early twenties as well, how do you know you want to do this your whole life?" I ask.

"If by 'this' you mean having drivers and maids and getting expensive gifts then I can honestly say that I would rather nothing else. Also, unless you've miraculously won the praise of the elders in the last year, keep in mind that I do have a plan and that's to be the next matriarch of the aerie." I roll my eyes and raise my hands in defence.

"Sorry, I won't bring it up again." I lean back against the seat and bring my already-read magazine out of my bag with a sigh. Emmeline watches me and reaches into her bag with a different magazine. I look up at her and she glances down at mine.

"Swap?" I ask, closing the cover and leaning over to offer it to her. She takes it and hands me hers, flipping open the page and beginning to read. I grin at the thought of having new reading material and we spend the next hour in silence as we read. Eventually Emmeline gets a phone call and I pretend to ignore her.

"Well hello, you." She says in a flirty tone. I widen my eyes and look over at her. Her eyes meet mine and she narrows them at me. We both pivot on our seats slightly to face away from each other and Emmeline continues.

"Have you been thinking about me?" She asks with a giggle. "Yeah, I bet you do you naughty man." This statement causes me to almost choke on my drink. Emmeline glares at me again and I can't hold back my laughter. She kicks at my feet as she talks.

"Yes, sorry. I'm sharing a car with my cousin and she's laughing at something childish." She says. I calm myself down and open up my magazine again with a large grin on my face.

"Of course I'm in the limo. Though, I have to say, it's not as nice as your Ferrari." She says in her flirty voice. I roll my eyes and Emmeline continues to glare at me.

"Okay darling, I'll speak with you soon. Good bye." She says, hanging up. "You are so immature!" She says to me.

"Who's your 'naughty' man, Emmeline? Someone rich, I assume?" I ask, keeping my grin.

"None of your business." She folds open her magazine in frustration.

"Oh come on, I never had a sister. You should be able to share with your family." I say in a dragging tone.

"He's a suitor I met and we've been seeing each other- there. And you can't use that excuse because you still have your old memories of your twin, Veronica; or something."

"It was Violet and she wasn't my real sister, remember? The witches put me with that family after they took me from Arabella and my father."

"Then they died and you were put in that orphanage where Pan found you, I've heard the whole story; please don't repeat it." She rolls her eyes. I go to continue talking but my eye catches something odd outside Emmeline's window. The first thing I understand of it is the tinted windscreen and the hood of the car. I then piece together that this car is faced our way and is coming towards us at a very high speed.

"Emmeline!" I shriek, reaching for her arm and yanking her towards me. Just as I do the car connects with her window and then bulldozes through to the seat where Emmeline was sat. Her blonde hair comes in a wave in front of my face and our eyes meet in a brief moment of panic. The limousine begins to spin out of control and I feel it being lifted from the road as everything begins to move very slowly. My body moves from my seat and Emmeline's grip on my arm turns to a searing pain as her talons have begun to erupt from her fingers. A glass of gin flies past my face and my shoe moves past my head at my side. I blink my eyes shut and everything speeds up and then goes completely black.


	2. Chapter 2 - Youssof's Men

**Chapter 2**

As I lie motionless in the wreckage I'm reminded of the nightmares I would always have in the orphanage. The smell of petrol and smoke is the same, as is the feeling of pain that's running all through my body. I glance over to a heavy breathing at my side to see a pile of feathers and grey skin. Emmeline has taken her harpy form and is curled up in pain. I turn my head to my other side in search of my bag and reach over for it. Pain shoots through me but I ignore it in order to pull out one of the only unbroken vials in there. As I move I feel broken glass shift beneath me. Someone's voice is calling out for us and some nearby shrapnel is being pulled from what's left of the limousine.

"Emmeline." I say, dragging my body toward her. I grip onto a grey limb and pull her towards me. Her whole body rolls over and her wing falls down to cover me like a blanket. She jerks and I feel her hand move to my face. We're facing each other now and so when she flicks her jet black eyes open, it startles me. I uncap the vial and bring it up to her mouth.

"Lena? Answer me!" I hear a panicked William call. Emmeline's talons dig into my cheeks as she grows conscious and aggressive. I shove the vial into her mouth and force the liquid down her throat. I feel her hand get incredibly hot on my skin and some beads of sweat join the blood in rolling down my face. She responds to the potion by spluttering and coughing but she does release me. When she begins to transform back into her human form I jump to attention. I hear more male voices calling out and then even some gunshots. When I look around I realise that the limousine has been flipped and Emmeline and I are lying on the roof. The broken window glass is all around us and some torn leather from the seats is hanging overhead. The smell of petrol gets worse and I know right now I need to get out of here. I grab some of the hanging leather strips and rip them from the seat, wrapping the material around my fist. I then use my protected fist to punch through the rest of the glass on the window near my head so it won't cut me when I climb through. I drag my body out of the limousine before reaching back in to pull Emmeline out. It's tough to move with all the pain going through me and I'm in luck when William appears at my side to help.

"Are you alright?" He asks at my side, one of his arms around my back protectively. We manage to drag Emmeline out of the car and she mumbles feebly in our arms. Some loud bangs hit the metal near us and it causes me to jump back slightly. I look over at William and suddenly a gun is in his hand.

"What happened? What's going on?" I ask, reaching into the car to grab my bag. I pull out the small gun that William got me and take the safety off.

"It's a group of men, I don't recognise them but my guess is that they're after Emmeline." William says, moving to get a vantage point on our attackers. He fires a few shots and I look down at Emmeline, who's slowly blinking her eyes open.

"Emmeline? Get up, we have to move." I say, moving to help her sit up. I hear footsteps at our right and a man with a gun looks in our direction. He aims his gun toward us but is stopped when he's hit in the chest by a bullet. I look over to where the bullet came from to see William already reloading his gun. The limousine makes a strange noise and in the distance I hear sirens.

"Time to go." William says. Emmeline is still looking around in a daze and I notice her clutching onto her necklace nervously. I rock to my feet and encourage Emmeline to do the same. We hurry around to the side of the car where bullets greet us again. I take aim in the direction of our attackers and fire a few shots in their direction; William does the same. A familiar black car speeds through our line of fire and the back door is opened to us. William grabs my arm and pulls me to get into the car while I do the same to Emmeline. The car takes off before the door is even shut behind us and we continue to duck low. I hear a loud explosion behind us and feel a heat hit the air. I smell smoke and sit up from my position to see the limousine now enveloped in flames.

"Lucius, the girls need first aid and those men might follow us to the hospital, do you know anywhere we can go?" William asks the driver. I look up to see two brunette men in the front talking amongst themselves- they're the Nyx who were with Emmeline.

"I don't know anyone outside of Linmoor- it's only three more hours, can they make it until then?" Lucius asks.

"That's fine, just get us out of here." I say.

"No, it's not. Lena, you're running on adreneline- soon you'll go into shock and if that doesn't kill you, your wounds will." When William says this he wipes the blood off my face with his sleeve.

"I'll make some calls." The man in the passenger seat says. I look to Emmeline at my side who's sitting silently while staring out the window.

"Emmeline?" I place my hand on her shoulder.

"Where are we?" She asks, still dazed.

"She's in shock, let her lie down." William says, leaning over me to lean the seat back. William removes his suit jacket and unbuttons his shirt. He rips pieces off of it to secure over the places where Emmeline is bleeding and he moves her feet up so they're elevated. I watch him as he sees to her and I feel my heart beat slowly return to a normal pace. Once William is done checking Emmeline's pulse and breathing he puts his jacket over my shoulders and keeps his arm around me. Part of me rings with alarm bells, telling me that I shouldn't encourage this kind of intimate behaviour, but the drowsy, nauseous feeling that's setting in tells me to ignore it.

The car pulls into a long driveway and we stop at a commercial-looking building that's tucked behind a wall of trees and shrubbery. I try to look for a sign to the building but am unable to locate any. Some people walk out of the building and a man with a white coat leans over Emmeline to shine a light into her eyes. Everyone around me is talking but my ears can't seem to make out what they're saying. The man in the white coat then shines a light in my eyes and I feel hands move around my arms before I'm lifted. The rest of the scene fades around me and I wake up on a bed some time later with all of these previous events being a blurred memory at the back of my mind. William is sat at my side with a new white shirt on and Emmeline is lying on a bed near me. The room we're in has all the equipment of a hospital but something tells me it's owned by a private company.

"How do you feel?" William's voice rings at my side. I look down to by body to see that I'm wearing a cotton hospital dress-like item and some tubes are running from my arms to a machine.

"Um..." I blink, trying to organise my thoughts. "I want these out of me." I say, moving to sit up.

"Okay, take it easy." He says, helping me sit up. The man in the white coat comes into to the room with a clipboard and a needle with a bright purple substance in it.

"I thought you would wake up first." He says, moving the needle to the end of one of my tubes. I grab his wrist in panic and narrow my eyes at him.

"Lena, it's a potion to help you heal- let him go." William says. The doctor raises an eyebrow from behind his glasses and I release him, allowing him to inject me with the potion.

"Is Em okay?" I ask, looking over at my cousin.

"The other Veela will be fine, just like you. It's good you got here when you did, though. You had significant trauma to your back- I'm surprised you were able to get up out of that wreckage. And her," The doctor pauses to nod to Emmeline. "If she hadn't have gone harpy her frail body wouldn't have been able to handle that damage." He finishes, bringing a similar needle from his pocket out to inject into Emmeline. As soon as he does she blinks her eyes open and sits up quickly. William walks over to her to calm her down and she thrashes about, clawing at her chest in a panic.

"Where is it!?" She shouts, throwing the blanket off of her and jumping out of the bed.

"Em, calm down. Where's what?" William asks, stepping back from her.

"The necklace! Where's my necklace? Did you take it?" As she asks this she grabs the doctor and pushes him against some nearby cabinets forcefully. William moves his arms around her and pulls her off the doctor who is already calmly retrieving yet another needle from his pocket. He stabs the needle towards her and it lands in her arm. He presses down on the needle end and she goes weak in William's arms. William moves her back to the bed and she sits on it calmly. In this time I have already gotten out of the bed and hurried towards them.

"Beth?" The doctor calls out, prompting a girl my age to walk into the room with wide eyes.

"Is everything alright, sir?" She asks, moving her eyes to William and Emmeline. When her eyes fall on William her mouth gapes open slightly and she pauses in her steps. She then moves her eyes over to study Emmeline and I.

"Yes. Would you please fetch the box with our customer's possessions?" He asks her. She takes another glance at William before scurrying out of the room. The box she returns with is filled with dirty clothes that smell of smoke. She hands the box to me and I set it down on the bed next to Emmeline; Who then furiously digs through it to retrieve her pink diamond necklace. Her expressions softens with relief as her fingers curl around it and she clutches it close to her chest.

"Em, who were those men? Why were they after you?" I ask her with seriousness. She looks up at the doctor with distrust on her face. The doctor then nods and heads for the door.

"You can have ten minutes before I need my clinic back. Don't worry about the bill, your men have already paid me." He says over his shoulder.

"They must have been Youssof's men... He's the prince I met in Saudi Arabia." She says, a slight look of guilt on her face. I raise an eyebrow and tilt my head, observing the jewellery that she has clutched to her chest. I then sigh in realisation.

"You stole that, didn't you?" As I ask I can't hide the annoyance from my tone.

"Oh for god's sake, Emmeline." William says, reaching for the necklace.

"Stop!" She shrieks, hitting his hand away. William widens his eyes at her and she shakes her head.

"I didn't think he would care about it that much, but clearly he's willing to kill me for it. I'm not giving it to you if keeping it could mean my safety." She says.

"Emmeline, why did you take it in the first place?" I ask. Her eyes move to mine.

"It's worth over eighty million dollars, that's why." She says sternly.

"I can't believe this, Em- we _have_ money. You don't need to steal the jewels off royal people to get it." William says.

"Have you _seen _this necklace?" She asks. "Not only is it pretty, it's my insurance for a good future. If I don't become queen then at least I know I won't be left poor." I open my mouth to respond but am interrupted when the two Nyx come into the room quickly.

"We need to move, we're only safe once we reach Linmoor." Lucius says. I look back at Emmeline who puts the necklace back on and hides the diamond behind the material of her dress. One of the Nyx hands me some green hospital scrubs and I'm instructed to wear them.

"They're the only clothes they had." He says.

After Emmeline and I change we meet the men at the front desk of the clinic. The doctor walks up to us and hands Emmeline and I a tub of blue cream.

"This is for the scars." He says with a nod.

"Scars?!" Emmeline shrieks, looking at William and I. "I can't have scars! Are they on my face?" She adds. I nod after taking in the sight of the grazes on her chin and forehead.

"I have to find a mirror." She says with worry, hurrying off down a hallway. I shake my head after her but it becomes apparent to me that my face must also be unsightly. I walk to the front glass window and catch a slight glimpse of my reflection. It's not very clear and I can only see half of my face so I turn to William.

"Are mine bad?" I ask him, my hands on my cheeks.

"You're still beautiful." He says, stepping toward me. I hold out my hands to stop him from coming closer.

"William-" I begin, cut off when he takes my hands in his.

"Please." He says with uneasiness on his face. I pause and he moves his lips to mine softly. I feel the tension in my shoulders fade away and wait for a face to appear in my mind. When I slept with William that night I was thinking of the intimacy I felt when Peter and I danced in my room at Flitwick mountain. I was also thinking of the excitement of when Felix kissed me at that waterfall on Neverland. But right now there are no other moments and no other men. There's just the silence and William. We stay in this moment and kiss each other softly before I open my eyes. William keeps his closed as rests his forehead against mine. I catch a glimpse of blonde over his shoulder to see Emmeline staring at us with confusion on her face. I step away from William and open my mouth to speak- to excuse my actions and to explain why this happened. But when I try to begin the words fail me and Emmeline walks past us quickly to the honking car outside.


	3. Chapter 3 - Maddalena

**Chapter 3**

The rest of the car trip is long and awkward and I feel Emmeline's judging eyes fall on me every half hour. Luckily one of the Nyx have managed to organise a helicopter to come and pick us up so the trip can be shortened and we can get to safety of Flitwick mountain. Our day-long trip ends when I walk through the archway to the courtyard of the estate. The scene is just how I remember it when I last left. There are no dancing, laughing women and no music is playing. The brightly coloured materials that draped along the pillars and seats have been taken away and replaced with black material. It's silent enough for the sound of my shoes meeting the stone pavement to be the loudest in the area. Two Nyx and a Veela are sitting around the foyer and they nod to us solemnly as we arrive. They inform us that everyone else is sat down for dinner so we continue on to the dining room. There's so many people in the dining room and our entrance goes mainly unnoticed; the person that does notice us, though, is one of the Elders whose sat at the head of the table. He gestures for Emmeline and I to come over to speak with him and the people in the seats closest to him move seats quickly and diligently. I take my seat and the man raises his eyebrow upon a close inspection of our faces.

"I heard you ran into trouble on the way. Be sure to have those looked at by our healers." He says with a nod to our scars.

"My mother isn't even in the ground yet and you think it's fine to take her place at her table?" Emmeline snaps at him. I widen my eyes at her and so does the elder.

"Watch your tongue, Emmeline Renessa Flitwick. While the next matriarch is being decided upon the Elders have dominion in this Aerie." He warns sternly.

"I think Emmeline is just tired from the trip... I know I am." I say, keeping my eyes on Emmeline steadily.

"You may rest later. First, you should eat and attempt to comfort your kin. We will discuss your punishment for stealing that jewel later." He says, continuing to eat his meal. Emmeline scoffs and stands from her chair dramatically. She stares down at the Elder and I before flicking her hair over her shoulder and storming out of the room. I watch her go as someone places a plate of food down in front of me. The meal is comprised of a thick steak with gravy and plenty of vegetables off to the side. I roll my eyes at her behaviour and drink down a glass of nearby alcohol quickly and completely.

"It looks like it's just you. Pay special attention to the younger ones; Cassiopeia had a certain soothing way with words when it came to speaking with them. As did your mother, perhaps you inherited it. Emmeline clearly didn't." He says with a grunt. I poke at my food and lean my sore, weary frame back against my chair. My drink is refilled and I take quick gulps, allowing it to dull my stressed mind.

"Since we're on the subject... I was hoping I could speak with you about her- about my mother." I say, still poking at my food with my fork.

"What would you like to know?" He asks, his eyes staying on his food.

"Cassiopeia said that no one knew who my father was... but then I found this in a box of my mother's things." I reach into my handbag and bring out the locket I've been holding onto. I open the heart to look at Zilocke's face within it. "I showed this to Cassiopeia but she was far too sick to understand me, she couldn't give me any information." I add, handing the locket to him. He takes it in his free hand and peers over at it, pausing for a moment.

"Where did you say this was?" He asks.

"It was in a box with my mother's things." I say slowly. "That man is Zilocke, isn't it? That powerful wizard?"

"We call them warlocks, Maddalena." He says, closing the locket and keeping it in his hand.

"Well, okay but- Wait. What did you call me?" I widen my eyes.

"Maddalena. That's your name." He says, continuing to eat his meal.

"Maddalena- seriously? How did you know that?" I lean forward on my chair.

"Perhaps it's time you and I took a walk." He says, finally placing down his knife and fork. He stands from his seat and as soon as he does everyone else stops eating and moves their eyes on him.

"Please continue eating, once dinner concludes we will begin our festivities to celebrate Matriarch Cassiopeia's life as usual." He doesn't seem to out much effort into it but his voice bellows through the whole dining hall. As soon as he finishes speaking everyone goes back to their dim chatter and eating. I finish my drink and begin to get up. The alcohol seems to have affected me quickly as I slightly stumble when I hurry out of my seat. I fall in step at the Elder's side; Once we leave the dining hall he continues.

"As Matriarch your mother typically wasn't permitted to keep secrets. Everything had to go through us, including her choice of suitor. Though, when she was younger, and her mother was the sovereign, her love life wasn't as closely watched and a few undesirables managed to slip through the cracks and get close to her. Some of these men were dangerous and reckless and they put a great strain on Arabella's relationship with your grandmother. That's why they were quickly ejected from her life for her own good." He opens the locket again and shows me the picture of Zilocke. "Zilocke was one of those men. That's why she has his picture, I would assume." He hands the locket back to me.

"Oh." I say, looking to the picture with a sigh. "So then he's not my father?" I ask, looking at the man.

"Before your mother died she was introduced to a suitor we had picked out for her and they grew fond of each other. Arabella fell pregnant and the two chose to elope and marry quickly so she would not be shamed for having a child out of wedlock. On their journey they were captured by witches and after you were born they were killed." He says, adding, "I know your full name because Arabella told me it's what she planned to call you. Maddalena, I am sorry you had to find out about your father this way." I bite my lip and consider this.

"Alright, but Cassiopeia said that Arabella left on official business... she said no one knew who my father was but my mother said he was the most powerful person she's ever met. And now you're telling me he was just some ordinary Nyx who got her pregnant?" I fold my arms.

"What I'm saying is true. At the time not everyone was told why Arabella left because the thought of losing both the queen and the heir would be too painful." He says.

"Too painful? Cassiopeia was her sister... she deserved to know and you didn't even tell her when she asked as your queen?" I furrow my eyebrows, I can't ignore the feeling that this doesn't add up. The Elder sighs as he pauses.

"We Elders decide what's best for our race. Cassiopeia didn't need to know the truth, she just needed to be groomed to be matriarch." He pauses again. "Now, that brings me to some things I want to say. First, how do you know of Zilocke?"

"I met him when I had a run in with Li Gao's witch coven. He intervened at the court- he saved me." I place the locket in my bag and look to the floor. I'm too tired and drunk to stay awake much longer.

"A court you wouldn't have been at if you didn't foolishly chase after that pesky boy- Pan." He says with a tone of annoyance.

"Peter is my friend, I care about him." I say, meeting his eyes again.

"Maddalena, you might be the high queen one day... one would think you would learn from your mother's mistakes and stay away from witch covens and troublesome boys. You would be better off if you married someone proper, like Aetius."

"Okay, stop calling me that and also where the hell did that last part come from?" I groan, taking a step away from him tiredly. "And don't lecture me on my suitors, the Elders should have been more careful when you sent me off to live with Gao in the first place. It's his fault I was put in harm's way, not Peter's." I shake my head, adding. "And I think I'm done with this conversation now." I say, turning to walk away.

"Don't walk away from me, young lady." He says, walking after me and gripping onto my arm firmly.

"Get off of me." I say, pulling my arm from his hand roughly and stumbling slightly. Inwardly I'm screaming in frustration. I just want to go to bed and have everyone leave me alone. Also why is all this parenting stuff coming now and from one of the Elders who I've only just met?

"The Elders wish for you to stop seeing that boy." He says, straightening his posture.

"Okay first of all, I'm pretty sure he's like over one hundred years old; which is older than you. Ergo, he's not a _boy_. And second, even when and if I become queen I still won't allow you to decide who to 'eject' from my life like you did with my mother. I read the letters, she _loved_ Zilocke. And frankly, that infuriating boyfriend-stealing man has done more to protect and help me than any of the Elders ever have." When I finish the Elder simply blinks at me in confusion. I'm not sure when he got lost in my rant as I wasn't really looking at him but I feel like I'm not quite done yet. "I love Peter and when he comes to the funeral I'm gong to tell him that." I shake my head. "I might also tell Felix that I love him too- but only because it's true on both accounts. What's also true is that no matter how attracted to him I am and no matter how 'proper' you say William is- I will never love him like I love Peter." I finish my rubbing my tired eyes.

"Speaking of..." The Elder says slowly. I look up at him before turning around to see who he's looking at. William is stood with his hands in his pockets and looking at me with a blank expression.

"Oh for god's sake, _of course_ you come in when I say that part." I shake my head, beginning to head for the bedroom hall.

"Actually I was here for the whole thing." He says, his tone unrecognisable to my inebriated mind.

"See that she's put into bed safely, Aetius." The Elder calls from behind me. I bring up my hand and flip him off but I don't hear a reaction from him. William places a hand on my arm to guide me to my room.

"So you're attracted to me, hmm?" He asks, a tone of amusement in his voice.

"I'm not in the mood, William. I just want everyone to stop wanting me so I can figure out who _I_ want." I say in a defeated tone. I sigh and add, "I'm sorry for what I said." We stop in front of a bedroom door and William opens it and leads me in. I recognise the room to be the one I stayed in last time and when my eyes fall on the bed I pause. I instantly get flashbacks to when I had to leave Peter the morning after our night of dancing and music and love. I feel an unwelcome tear roll down my cheek.

"Lena I know you probably won't remember this in the morning, but I want to apologise for how I've acted around you." He says as I kick off my shoes and bury myself under the blankets of the bed. I swivel around to look up at him.

"What?" I ask.

"I know I can be a real ass sometimes but I am grateful that you've been there for me while I'm grieving. The truth is that I don't know if I'll ever fall in love and I realise now that it wasn't fair of me to play with your heart while you were trying to figure out who you wanted to give it to." He sits on the side of the bed and wipes my cheek with his sleeve.

"I forgive you." I say in a small voice. "And it's not all your fault... I can't make a decision about love either. The first time I tried to love someone I was taken away from him and when I saw him next he had moved on and gotten engaged. Then when I realised I was falling for Peter – well crashing, really – Everything just got messed up." I close my eyes and bury my face in the pillow.

"Just go to sleep, you don't need to think about this now." He says, I feel his hand on my back. "I'll be here for you in the morning... and I promise I won't try to kiss you again." He adds with a joking tone. I attempt a witty reply but all that escapes my mouth is a murmur before I'm dragged into the darkness of sleep. It happens slowly at first and then all at once; and I once again greet Peter's smiling face in my dream.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Florist

**Chapter 5**

Dispatching the two in the elevator was surprisingly easy and I can only assume that they're not professional. Before the man passed out I tried to get some information for him and he mumbled something about the jewel. When the elevator doors open again Peter is still waiting in the lobby but Emmeline is stood talking to him. They both widen their eyes at the sight of me standing in front of two unconscious bodies and a sea of destroyed white roses. I grab a handful of rose petals and slowly step onto the lobby, already tired. I hand the petals to Emmeline as I pass her.

"There's your roses." I say, adding over my shoulder, "They were after you. Get this place locked down and screen all further guests." I leave the two behind to dress in my funeral dress and make myself presentable.

When I'm headed for the main hall one of the elders stops me in my tracks.

"Maddalena, we heard about the intruders in the lobby and we want to express our gratitude for what you did for Emmeline. Know that your brave act has not gone unnoticed." He offers me his elbow and I allow him to escort me the rest of the way as we speak.

"Perhaps it's time to consider getting Emmeline to a safe house. At least then the rest of us won't be in danger." I say. The Elder agrees with me and as we pass a balcony exit in the hallway I hear the shrieking of a baby. I look over to see Felix leaning over his pram and trying to sooth Finn. I excuse myself from the Elder's side and I leave to join Felix. He looks up at me with a face of worry as I approach him.

"I'm sorry- I'm sorry. I know I'm ruining this for you." He says, moving Finn into his arms so he can bounce him side to side.

"Ruining what? The funeral? Don't be silly." I fold my arms as I stand beside the pram.

"I need to get his pacifier, can you hold him?" Felix asks, looking to me with desperation on his face.

"Um. I don't think that's a good idea." I say, taking a half step back. I've never held a baby.

"Please? I could really use the help." He insists, moving to my side and placing the crying Finn into my arms. Felix moves my hands so I'm securing Finn's head and neck in one and his tiny body in the other. I'm forced to stare face to face with the red-faced shrieker before me. Felix begins furiously digging through his pram compartment and Finn starts to flail his legs about.

"Um. Shh... it's okay." I say in the most soothing voice I can manage. To my surprise, Finn opens his eyes to look at me and he slowly calms down. His eyes widen in wonder as he stares at my face. I rock him slowly in my arms and I feel myself smile down at him. I never thought that my charm could work on an infant. Felix stands wide-eyed as he watches me hold his son.

"How did you do that?" He asks, his mouth gaping.

"I think he just needed a distraction. What do you think is wrong with him? Is he hungry?" I ask, my mind instantly thinking of Laura.

"No, I think he just misses his mother's voice. He seems to be able to recognise it." He says, placing Finn's pacifier in his open mouth. Felix steps toward us to stare down at Finn lovingly and he places his hand on the back of Finn's head – which just so happens to be under my hand. I feel my shoulders tense so I quickly hand Finn back to his father's arms.

"I think they're going to begin." I say, turning to leave.

"Do you remember this balcony?" Felix asks suddenly, causing me to stop in my tracks. I glance around the balcony and my eyes fall on the seat.

"It's where I tried to kiss you when I finally got to be with you after Neverland." He says.

"You were succumbing to my charm." I sigh. "It wasn't real, it was forced." I add.

"How can it be forced if I've loved you ever since you left Neverland?" He says seriously, causing my whole frame to stiffen again.

"You can't be saying things like this, Felix." I say sternly, worried that an Elder is listening. Or worse- Emmeline. Felix places Finn back in his pram and he looks back up at me with the same intent look.

"Let me kiss you." He says, it sounds like a request.

"What? No- Felix, stop." I say.

"If you kiss me then maybe I can make you realise that you love me too." He says desperately.

"You _know _I love you. I'm just not in love with you. And even if I was, _this _could never happen. You have an infant son whose mother belongs to a whole race that hates me and my family." I say, crossing my arms.

"I would go through any pain for you, none of that matters. We could go away from here. It would be just you and me and Finn. You could stop doing all these ridiculous things for those people that order you around like a dog." He furrows his eyebrows.

"Hold your tongue." I snap, causing his features to soften.

"These people might one day be my subjects and no matter what I do for them, I don't do it because I'm _told to_- I do it because I care for the welfare of my people." I add, just as sternly.

"Lena, you sound like Emmeline." He says. I roll my eyes and take another step toward the door.

"If I sound like Emmeline then I'm finally doing something right. I'm more like her than you- we're from different races – pretty much different species." I hear the sound of violins playing a gloomy melody. "I have to go. Enjoy the food." I say, with a sigh. From behind me, Felix protests my leaving but I ignore it as I head for the main hall. When I reach the main hall I see a throng of familiar faces. Emmeline is seated in the front row and there is an empty seat next to her with my name on it. I slide into my seat silently and listen intently as the Elder has already begun his sermon.

"Today we gather in memory of our beloved High Queen, Cassiopeia Evangeline Flitwick." He begins. He goes on to tell tales of when Cassiopeia grew up alongside her sisters, and how she came to take over the role of matriarch after the tragic disappearance of the previous queen, her sister and my mother. He speaks of her wise and disciplined nature and how she was considered to be a great queen. Emmeline then stands and says a few loving words for her mother and promises that she will look after her two younger sisters, Primrose and Rosaline, who are sat on the same row as me wearing sombre expressions. The funeral party are then instructed to stand from their seats and we all walk down to the ritual pool in the valley of the mountains. Cassiopeia's ashes are spread into the pool as the Elder does a chant from the rune-covered book that was present at my rituals. We bow our heads in memory and leave gifts and flowers at the side of the pool before people start to disperse and return to the mansion to have food. I'm staring blankly at my reflection in the pool when I see Peter move to stand beside me.

"I'm sorry about your aunt." He says with sincerity. I turn to face him with a half-hearted smile.

"That's very kind of you." I say.

"Listen, I know now may not be the best time but I really wanted to speak with you." He says, his features hardening.

"You're right. It's not the best time. But I have a feeling I won't be able to stop you anyway." I say, turning to begin the walk back to the mansion to join everyone. Just as I suspect, Peter hurries to walk by my side as he continues.

"I feel like we left things very open-ended last time.-" He says, I cut him off.

"Will you do something for me?" I ask. He looks puzzled but continues to walk by my side.

"Yes, what?" He asks.

"I need to speak with that warlock- Zilocke." I say, adding, "You still work for him, don't you?"

"Yes... why do you need to speak with him?" He asks.

"Not that it's any of your business but he and my mother have history." I say, giving him a stern look. He responds with confusion. I know I'm being harsh to him and Felix but I'm beginning to realise that seeing them again is doing more damage than it does healing.

"I suppose I could ask him. The problem is that I'm not really supposed to even be here. I came because you asked me to." He says, as sternly as I snapped at him. I look over at him and he meets my gaze, I have to pinch my leg as I walk to ignore the obvious electricity sparking up between us. I look back ahead of me and he slowly does the same.

"'I love you completely and irrefutably and I could never feel the same way about anyone as I do for you.'" When he says it I instantly recognise it and it almost brings tears to my eyes.

"What?" I ask, feigning confusion.

"You wrote that to me in your letter. Right before you left me. Along with a line about how a love like ours is strong and patient." He says.

"Sounds like the ramblings of a lovesick teenager." I say, we're nearing the top of the steps and my pace has begun to quicken.

"Are you saying that you no longer love me like that?" He asks.

"I'm saying that I'm no longer a kid." I say, stopping as the steps have ended. He stops walking ahead as well but instead he moves right in front of me.

"You stopped being a kid when you came to Neverland." He says with seriousness.

"And you never stopped at all." I say with annoyance. I feel his hand slide to my waist and I can tell that he's going to try and distract me with a kiss. I give him a firm shove and I step away from his embrace.

"And there you go again! You think that kissing me will make me ignore everything that's happening. As if it will some how fix it. Peter, there's no such thing as a love that can conquer everything. In reality there are rules and death and consequences- you and I just aren't allowed to be together." I say.

"You can't really believe that, can you?" He asks, a tone of desperation in his voice.

"You can take the boy out of Neverland but you can't take the Neverland out of the boy." I roll my eyes. "Stop dreaming Peter." I break away from him and hurry inside. I hear him chasing after me so I use my knowledge of these halls to try and get away from him.

"Lena, wait!" He shouts from behind me. I open the doors to the dining hall to see that all of the Elders as well as Emmeline are sat down. They all glare up at me and I come to a full stop. Peter almost crashes into me from behind and the Elders simply stare at him.

"Good, Maddalena and Peter Pan are here to join us. Take a seat." One of the Elders orders.

"Maddalena?" Peter whispers to me from my side. I ignore him and walk willingly over to sit in the chair next to Emmeline, who has her heard bowed as if she's just been scolded.

"We're just waiting for your second in command." The Elder says pointedly at Peter. Who's taken a seat in the chair next to me.

"Who, Felix? He's not really my second in command since the Lost Boys kind of disbanded..." Peter says, attempting to place his hand gently on my knee under the table. I hit his hand away and from beyond the door we hear a baby crying. Felix bursts in and looks stunned as a table full of people are looking at him.

"And he's brought his half-warlock offspring with him..." The same Elder says with distaste.

"Sorry, I'll go find another room." Felix begins to back away,

"Felix Hammond take a seat." The Elder orders. Felix straightens up and manages to calm down Finn.

"That's not really my name-" He begins, cut off by the same Elder.

"Sit." The Elder warns. Felix makes his way over to the table and he rocks Finn in his arms. Emmeline glares at Finn with distaste but she remains silent. We sit for a moment in silence before I decide to speak.

"Are we waiting for someone else?" I ask, familiar with how these meetings with the Elders usually go. They only speak when they deem it an appropriate time to speak.

"Just one. But we are expecting him to bring his protégé..." He looks off at a sheet of paper another Elder offers to him. "Sage." I look up, instantly recognising the name and just as I do both of the large double doors are opened. In walks Zilocke with his female companion, Sage, at his side.

"Sorry if we're late. Your Nyx guards refused to allow us entry until we provided identification... it seems you're all on high alert around here." He says, walking over to take a seat. I notice that Peter has already stood from his seat and is looking to Zilocke with a look of caution- as if he's been caught stealing.

"Sit down, Pan, if you honestly believed you had outwitted me then I clearly over-estimated you." He says sternly. It's so odd for me to hear someone talking to the great and powerful Peter Pan like he's just some boy. Up until now I thought I was the only one who would dare to. I keep my eyes fixed on Zilocke and I don't flinch when he glares back at me.

"Nice to see you again, Lena." He says with a nod, "You remember Sage?" He gestures to the cloaked girl who is stood behind him. I don't know where my nerve suddenly comes from but I don't like it when he looks at me like he's better than me.

"I think you'll find that the Veela are far more welcoming than your witch kind, Sage. Feel free to sit if you'd like to." I tell the girl, who remains silent. Zilocke, however, lets out a chuckle at my remark.

"So... Elders of the High Aerie, my old friends. You summoned me to this meeting- shall we begin?" Zilocke asks, placing his elbows on the table and bringing his palms together to look pensive. How is it that he's not even sat at either of the heads of the table- and yet it still feels like he's in the seat of power?


	5. Chapter 5 - Ashes to Ashes

**Chapter 5**

Dispatching the two in the elevator was surprisingly easy and I can only assume that they're not professional. Before the man passed out I tried to get some information for him and he mumbled something about the jewel. When the elevator doors open again Peter is still waiting in the lobby but Emmeline is stood talking to him. They both widen their eyes at the sight of me standing in front of two unconscious bodies and a sea of destroyed white roses. I grab a handful of rose petals and slowly step onto the lobby, already tired. I hand the petals to Emmeline as I pass her.

"There's your roses." I say, adding over my shoulder, "They were after you. Get this place locked down and screen all further guests." I leave the two behind to dress in my funeral dress and make myself presentable.

When I'm headed for the main hall one of the elders stops me in my tracks.

"Maddalena, we heard about the intruders in the lobby and we want to express our gratitude for what you did for Emmeline. Know that your brave act has not gone unnoticed." He offers me his elbow and I allow him to escort me the rest of the way as we speak.

"Perhaps it's time to consider getting Emmeline to a safe house. At least then the rest of us won't be in danger." I say. The Elder agrees with me and as we pass a balcony exit in the hallway I hear the shrieking of a baby. I look over to see Felix leaning over his pram and trying to sooth Finn. I excuse myself from the Elder's side and I leave to join Felix. He looks up at me with a face of worry as I approach him.

"I'm sorry- I'm sorry. I know I'm ruining this for you." He says, moving Finn into his arms so he can bounce him side to side.

"Ruining what? The funeral? Don't be silly." I fold my arms as I stand beside the pram.

"I need to get his pacifier, can you hold him?" Felix asks, looking to me with desperation on his face.

"Um. I don't think that's a good idea." I say, taking a half step back. I've never held a baby.

"Please? I could really use the help." He insists, moving to my side and placing the crying Finn into my arms. Felix moves my hands so I'm securing Finn's head and neck in one and his tiny body in the other. I'm forced to stare face to face with the red-faced shrieker before me. Felix begins furiously digging through his pram compartment and Finn starts to flail his legs about.

"Um. Shh... it's okay." I say in the most soothing voice I can manage. To my surprise, Finn opens his eyes to look at me and he slowly calms down. His eyes widen in wonder as he stares at my face. I rock him slowly in my arms and I feel myself smile down at him. I never thought that my charm could work on an infant. Felix stands wide-eyed as he watches me hold his son.

"How did you do that?" He asks, his mouth gaping.

"I think he just needed a distraction. What do you think is wrong with him? Is he hungry?" I ask, my mind instantly thinking of Laura.

"No, I think he just misses his mother's voice. He seems to be able to recognise it." He says, placing Finn's pacifier in his open mouth. Felix steps toward us to stare down at Finn lovingly and he places his hand on the back of Finn's head – which just so happens to be under my hand. I feel my shoulders tense so I quickly hand Finn back to his father's arms.

"I think they're going to begin." I say, turning to leave.

"Do you remember this balcony?" Felix asks suddenly, causing me to stop in my tracks. I glance around the balcony and my eyes fall on the seat.

"It's where I tried to kiss you when I finally got to be with you after Neverland." He says.

"You were succumbing to my charm." I sigh. "It wasn't real, it was forced." I add.

"How can it be forced if I've loved you ever since you left Neverland?" He says seriously, causing my whole frame to stiffen again.

"You can't be saying things like this, Felix." I say sternly, worried that an Elder is listening. Or worse- Emmeline. Felix places Finn back in his pram and he looks back up at me with the same intent look.

"Let me kiss you." He says, it sounds like a request.

"What? No- Felix, stop." I say.

"If you kiss me then maybe I can make you realise that you love me too." He says desperately.

"You _know _I love you. I'm just not in love with you. And even if I was, _this _could never happen. You have an infant son whose mother belongs to a whole race that hates me and my family." I say, crossing my arms.

"I would go through any pain for you, none of that matters. We could go away from here. It would be just you and me and Finn. You could stop doing all these ridiculous things for those people that order you around like a dog." He furrows his eyebrows.

"Hold your tongue." I snap, causing his features to soften.

"These people might one day be my subjects and no matter what I do for them, I don't do it because I'm _told to_- I do it because I care for the welfare of my people." I add, just as sternly.

"Lena, you sound like Emmeline." He says. I roll my eyes and take another step toward the door.

"If I sound like Emmeline then I'm finally doing something right. I'm more like her than you- we're from different races – pretty much different species." I hear the sound of violins playing a gloomy melody. "I have to go. Enjoy the food." I say, with a sigh. From behind me, Felix protests my leaving but I ignore it as I head for the main hall. When I reach the main hall I see a throng of familiar faces. Emmeline is seated in the front row and there is an empty seat next to her with my name on it. I slide into my seat silently and listen intently as the Elder has already begun his sermon.

"Today we gather in memory of our beloved High Queen, Cassiopeia Evangeline Flitwick." He begins. He goes on to tell tales of when Cassiopeia grew up alongside her sisters, and how she came to take over the role of matriarch after the tragic disappearance of the previous queen, her sister and my mother. He speaks of her wise and disciplined nature and how she was considered to be a great queen. Emmeline then stands and says a few loving words for her mother and promises that she will look after her two younger sisters, Primrose and Rosaline, who are sat on the same row as me wearing sombre expressions. The funeral party are then instructed to stand from their seats and we all walk down to the ritual pool in the valley of the mountains. Cassiopeia's ashes are spread into the pool as the Elder does a chant from the rune-covered book that was present at my rituals. We bow our heads in memory and leave gifts and flowers at the side of the pool before people start to disperse and return to the mansion to have food. I'm staring blankly at my reflection in the pool when I see Peter move to stand beside me.

"I'm sorry about your aunt." He says with sincerity. I turn to face him with a half-hearted smile.

"That's very kind of you." I say.

"Listen, I know now may not be the best time but I really wanted to speak with you." He says, his features hardening.

"You're right. It's not the best time. But I have a feeling I won't be able to stop you anyway." I say, turning to begin the walk back to the mansion to joins everyone. Just as I suspect, Peter hurries to walk by my side as he continues.

"I feel like we left things very open-ended last time.-" He says, I cut him off.

"Will you do something for me?" I ask. He looks puzzled but continues to walk by my side.

"Yes, what?" He asks.

"I need to speak with that warlock- Zilocke." I say, adding, "You still work for him, don't you?"

"Yes... why do you need to speak with him?" He asks.

"Not that it's any of your business but he and my mother have history." I say, giving him a stern look. He responds with confusion. I know I'm being harsh to him and Felix but I'm beginning to realise that seeing them again is doing more damage than it does healing.

"I suppose I could ask him. The problem is that I'm not really supposed to even be here. I came because you asked me to." He says, as sternly as I snapped at him. I look over at him and he meets my gaze, I have to pinch my leg as I walk to ignore the obvious electricity sparking up between us. I look back ahead of me and he slowly does the same.

"'I love you completely and irrefutably and I could never feel the same way about anyone as I do for you.'" When he says it I instantly recognise it and it almost brings tears to my eyes.

"What?" I ask, feigning confusion.

"You wrote that to me in your letter. Right before you left me. Along with a line about how a love like ours is strong and patient." He says.

"Sounds like the ramblings of a lovesick teenager." I say, we're nearing the top of the steps and my pace has begun to quicken.

"Are you saying that you no longer love me like that?" He asks.

"I'm saying that I'm no longer a kid." I say, stopping as steps have ended. He stops as well but moves right in front of me.

"You stopped being a kid when you came to Neverland." He says with seriousness.

"And you never stopped." I say with annoyance. I feel his hand slide to my waist and I can tell that he's going to try and distract me with a kiss. I give him a firm shove and I step away from his embrace.

"And there you go again! You think that kissing me will make me ignore everything that's happening. As if it will some how fix it. Peter, there's no such thing as a love that can conquer everything. In reality there are rules and death and consequences- you and I just aren't allowed to be together." I say.

"You can't really believe that, can you?" He asks, a tone of desperation in his voice.

"You can take the boy out of Neverland but you can't take the Neverland out of the boy." I roll my eyes. "Stop dreaming Peter." I break away from him and hurry inside. I hear him chasing after me so I use my knowledge of these halls to try and get away from him.

"Lena, wait!" He shouts from behind me. I open the doors to the dining hall to see that all of the Elders as well as Emmeline are sat down. They all glare up at me and I come to a full stop. Peter almost crashes into me from behind and the Elders simply stare at him.

"Good, Maddalena and Peter Pan are here to join us. Take a seat." One of the Elders orders.

"Maddalena?" Peter whispers to me from my side. I ignore him and walk willingly over to sit in the chair next to Emmeline, who has her heard bowed as if she's just been scolded.

"We're just waiting for your second in command." The Elder says pointedly at Peter. Who's taken a seat in the chair next to me.

"Who, Felix? He's not really my second in command since the Lost Boys kind of disbanded..." Peter says, attempting to place his hand gently on my knee under the table. I hit his hand away and from beyond the door we hear a baby crying. Felix bursts in and looks stunned as a table full of people are looking at him.

"And he's brought his half-warlock offspring with him..." The same Elder says with distaste.

"Sorry, I'll go find another room." Felix begins to back away,

"Felix Hammond take a seat." The Elder orders. Felix straightens up and manages to calm down Finn.

"That's not really my name-" He begins, cut off by the same Elder.

"Sit." The Elder warns. Felix makes his way over to the table and he rocks Finn in his arms. Emmeline glares at Finn with distaste but she remains silent. We sit for a moment in silence before I decide to speak.

"Are we waiting for someone else?" I ask, familiar with how these meetings with the Elders usually go. They only speak when they deem it an appropriate time to speak.

"Just one. But we are expecting him to bring his protégé..." He looks off at a sheet of paper another Elder offers to him. "Sage." I look up, instantly recognising the name and just as I do both of the large double doors are opened. In walks Zilocke with his female companion, Sage, at his side.

"Sorry if we're late. Your Nyx guards refused to allow us entry until we provided identification... it seems you're all on high alert around here." He says, walking over to take a seat. I notice that Peter has already stood from his seat and is looking to Zilocke with a look of caution- as if he's been caught stealing.

"Sit down, Pan, if you honestly believed you had outwitted me then I clearly over-estimated you." He says sternly. It's so odd for me to hear someone talking to the great and powerful Peter Pan like he's just some boy. Up until now I thought I was the only one who would dare to. I keep my eyes fixed on Zilocke and I don't flinch when he glares back at me.

"Nice to see you again, Lena." He says with a nod, "You remember Sage?" He gestures to the cloaked girl who is stood behind him. I don't know where my nerve suddenly comes from but I don't like it when he looks at me like he's better than me.

"I think you'll find that the Veela are far more welcoming than your witch kind, Sage. Feel free to sit if you'd like to." I tell the girl, who remains silent. Zilocke, however, lets out a chuckle at my remark.

"So... Elders of the High Aerie, my old friends. You summoned me to this meeting- shall we begin?" Zilocke asks, placing his elbows on the table and bringing his palms together to look pensive. How is it that he's not even sat at either of the heads of the table- and yet it still feels like he's in the seat of power?


	6. Chapter 6 - Welcome Back

**Chapter 6**

"It appears that when the head Witch clan found out that they shared a common enemy with us they sought out this Saudi Arabian prince-" The Elder looks to the paper again, "Youssof Basara."

I glance to Emmeline and I notice she has her head down, her eyes fixed on the table.

"But isn't he human? Why would they bother?" I ask.

"Like us, the witches need money. Now they have a source." Another Elder adds.

"So then what is he doing here, isn't he the enemy?" I ask, nodding to Zilocke.

"I'm no one's enemy, nor anyone's ally. I only operate to serve my own interest. Though with that- I agree. What am I doing here?" He says, directing this to the Elders.

"We need a safe location for both Emmeline and Maddalena. We understand you have somewhere the witches can't touch." The Elder says. Zilocke narrow his eyebrows slightly.

"And how did you know this?" He asks. The Elder looks to Peter who's look of guilt grows. Zilocke notices and shakes his head.

"I _won _that place fair and square and I'm not about to give just anyone access to it. I owe you nothing." Zilocke begins to stand from his chair and Sage steps back in preparation to follow him out.

"We think you'll reconsider." The Elder says sternly, causing Zilocke to pause and look at them angrily. Another Elder speaks next.

"The safety of those you care about is in grave danger." He says.

"And how would you know who's worthy of my care?" Zilocke replies.

"Do not take us for fools." Another Elder chimes in. I furrow my eyebrows. 

"What the hell is going on here?" I ask, looking between them. Zilocke looks over at me and a strange expression passes across his face. I can't seem to place it.

"So that's it. You're just going to blackmail me? I don't get anything out of this?" Zilocke asks, ignoring my question. One of the Elders brings out a bundle of cloth. When he slides it along the table it appears something solid is wrapped in it. Zilocke stops it from sliding with his hand and he unwraps it on the table. When the pink, shining diamond is revealed Emmeline sits forward in her seat.

"You stole it from me!?" She says, standing and casting an angry look at the Elders.

"This is the jewel everyone is after? This is the Queen's diamond?" Zilocke asks, studying the necklace in his hands.

"It's worth a lot of money... and it's not theirs to give." Emmeline says, shooting another glare at the end of the table.

"This is a relic that belongs to the witches. They thought it was lost decades ago." Zilocke says, not moving his eyes from the jewel. "We just have another name for it."

"It also holds great power that only a witch or warlock can harness. So do you accept?" The Elder asks. Zilocke wraps up the necklace and hands it to Sage.

"I'll wait in the courtyard. They can have half an hour." He says, turning and heading for the door. Peter quickly stands and hurries over to him. Zilocke places a hand on his chest to stop him from moving through the door with them.

"And what makes you think I'm letting you come?" He asks. Pan straightens his posture and gives a pleading look.

"I haven't paid off my debt to you..." He says. Zilocke's hand doesn't move from Peter and a blue light appears from his palm. Peter seems to shudder- his whole frame looks like it's just been hit by lightning. Without thinking I move to my feet and feel my fingers curl into my palm. Zilocke, Emmeline and the Elders all move their eyes to me curiously. I meet each of their eyes and have to force myself back into my seat with a look of shame. Since when did you forget to hide your feelings, Lena? Peter appears out of breath and he's breathing heavily.

"You're released from your debt. Stay out of my way." Zilocke says to Peter. Peter supports himself on the wall and the door shuts when Sage and Zilocke disappear behind it.

"Maddalena and Emmeline pack your bags. You're going on another trip." The Elder orders. Emmeline moves away from the table with an angry groan and leaves the room. I can't hold myself back any long so I hurry over to Peter, placing my hands on his shoulders. I turn my head to look back at the Elders and notice Felix standing from his seat slowly. He and Finn were so quiet the whole time that I forgot they were here.

"Peter, are you alright?" Felix asks, cradling Finn. Peter struggles to regain his posture and his face is covered in sweat.

"Maddalena, it's time to go pack." An Elder says, appearing behind me. The Elder places his hand on my arm and pulls me from Peter. I move to his command but I'm not quite sure why. My eyes move from Peter to Felix as I back away from them. The Elder opens the door for me and leads me out and I watch the men who are watching me leave. Felix gulps and suddenly he looks so young and boyish- even with his son in his arms. Peter looks exhausted and pained but his eyes hold determination as they settle on me. Finally I tear my eyes off of them and I walk out to the hall and then all the way to my room, without looking behind me. I'm barely focused as I pack a bag and I'm glad William comes in to help- otherwise I would probably have forgotten shoes.

"This should be fine." I say, closing my luggage bag and zipping it. "You go get yours and I'll meet you in the courtyard." I move over to pack my hair and make-up bag when I see William take a seat on my bed.

"I'm not coming with you Lena." He says with a glum tone.

"You're not?" I stop, turning back to face him. "Why not?" I add.

"Because the Elders don't want me to. You know how it is with them- whatever they say goes." His hands are tightly wound together in his lap. I bite my lip as I go back to packing the last of my things. William remains silent as he watches me. When I glance to him in the mirror I find it strange to notice how he watches on with a different type of affection. We've been through many ups and downs and even with the craziness of today still fresh on our minds, William finally seems at peace. When I gather my bags William stands to carry the heavy ones. As soon as he does I step toward him and pull him into a hug. I rest my head against his chest and tighten my arms around his midriff. He places his lips against the top of my head and places his hands on my arms. We don't say anything more once we leave my bedroom and head for the courtyard. As I approach it I feel a strong wind coming in through the landing doors. The curtains are blowing frantically and small ornaments are being pushed off their tables. A purple cloud rests around the courtyard and a dark starry sky hangs overhead. When my eyes fall on the black arch-type structure in the centre I immediately recognise it as a portal. I freeze and look around for an Elder to question. I notice Emmeline talking to Zilocke near some pillars and it looks like she's arguing with him. I can't hear them over the loud whooshing of wind in my ears. Zilocke steps back from Emmeline and his eyes fall on me with the same looks of annoyance. He then groans loudly and swears before walking back into the estate. William and I walk over to Emmeline who's busy watching Zilocke walk back into the estate.

"I would prefer it if they told us we were leaving this realm. This doesn't look good to me." I shout to her. Emmeline doesn't look at me as she replies.

"This wouldn't look good to a blind person, Lena. This whole thing feels foul." She shouts back.

"Emmeline. Before you go, can I talk to you?" William says loudly, surprising both Emmeline and I. Emmeline looks at him with confusion before giving him a nod. Before she follows him off she turns to me with a stern expression.

"You and I are even now." I begin to ask her what she's referring to but she leaves just as an angry Zilocke returns with a body in tow. Peter is being dragged along behind and there's a look of relief on his face. He glances over to me and I raise an eyebrow as I watch him.

"Time to go." Zilocke shouts, looking to Emmeline and I. Sage walks out of the estate with a duffel bag swung over her shoulder and she walks right into the black-purple void that fills the space in the archway. She disappears into it and Zilocke shoves Peter into it after her. I look over at Emmeline and William to see that Emmeline looks completely shocked. William has a serious look on his face as he moves to place my luggage bags at my feet. As soon as he places them down they get lifted into the air as if they're caught in a small cyclone and moves into the portal. I look at Zilocke who seems to be causing this. Emmeline squares her shoulders and walks straight for the portal without pausing. Zilocke then extends his hand to me to gesture for me to go in next. I walk over to the portal and just as I glance over my shoulder at Zilocke I see Felix stood in the foyer with his hands in his pockets and Finn in the pram at his side. I rock forward and am swallowed by the void.

As soon as I step through the portal the scene changes dramatically and I greet a sight that I've not seen in real life since I was sixteen. The mountain-filled background is now stocked with endless trees in a huge forest. The only tracks are made of dirt and we're next to a clearing of ramshackle tents and bamboo structures.

"Welcome back to Neverland." Zilocke says. His lips curling at the sides in a dark manner.


	7. Chapter 7 - The Log Cabin

**Chapter 7**

I'm so in shock I barely even realise that I've backed up a few steps and run into Sage. She pushes me off of her and adjusts the cloak over her face.

"Do you ever take that off?" Emmeline asks her with a tone in her voice. Sage simply shoots a glare at Emmeline before rearranging her duffel bag on her shoulder. I'm still caught in my moment of shock as I continue to look at my surroundings.

"Is this real?" I ask, a warning signal pounding in my head. "What about... the shadow?" I add, turning to Peter. Peter has his back to me and he seems preoccupied with something else.

"That shadow isn't around any more. Let's just say I've got it in safe keeping." Zilocke says, walking off after Sage with his hands joined behind his back. I walk over to Peter and notice that he seems to be staring up at the tree tops.

"Peter?" I place my hand on his shoulder and he slightly jumps.

"What?" He snaps out of his reverie.

"Are you alright?" I ask. He gulps and glances around us.

"It just feels odd. Being back here makes me feel... different." He says, slowly trailing after Zilocke. Emmeline walks to my side with her arms crossed. We both retrieve our bags and trail after the group.

"What did you say to Zilocke to make him allow Peter to come?" I ask, making sure we're out of earshot from the others.

"I told him that know his secret." She says, keeping her gaze ahead of her. Her posture is straight and her chin is symmetrical with the ground. Even in this rustic, muddy setting she still walks like a princess.

"Oh..." I say, keeping my eyes on her as a hint. She meets my gaze and promptly rolls her eyes.

"You already know his secret Lena, you're just choosing not to believe it." She says. I purse my lips.

"I don't know what you're referring to." I reply.

"Damn right you do, I found it out through you." She says. I purse my lips again and she sighs, thrusting a hand into my bag. I begin to pull away, fearing that she wants my favourite jewellery but instead with withdraws my mother's locket.

"If you've believed everything the Elders have told you then you're dumber than I thought." She says, handing me the locket. I flick the clasp open and glare down at the young Zilocke staring back at me. I close it after a moment and shove it into my pocket as I continue.

"Well what if it's easier for everyone involved if I just play dumb? Doing anything else just seems like it will cause problems." I say, hardly believing that I'm talking to Emmeline for advice.

"All I know for sure is that we're young and beautiful- playing dumb is incredibly easy." She shrugs. I bite my lip and my eyes move up to Peter.

"Why did you insist that he come along?" I ask her, amused at the thought of Emmeline caring about me. She seems to notice because her mood quickly sours.

"I knew how much of a bother you would be if you didn't have your lover-boy around to amuse you. That's all." She snaps, speeding up to walk ahead. I smirk, recalling her 'playing dumb' comment.

"Right."

–

We walk for about ten minutes before we reach a structure in the clearing. It seems to be a sizable log cabin placed in the middle of a forest. I almost gasp when I see it, knowing how out of place it is in a setting such as this. We all file over the porch and through the front door to enter a living room. The house has a cozy feel to it but nothing can make me ignore the unsettling feeling I have inside. Being back in Neverland means that I have a flood of memories appearing in my head at unexpected times. I'm half glad that Peter is so preoccupied with his own thoughts otherwise he would notice that I've stared at him at least ten times in the last minute.

"There's enough bedrooms for you all to have one each." Zilocke says. "Now get out of my way, Sage and I have business to attend to." He adds.

"What are we supposed to do here?" Emmeline asks. Zilocke doesn't halt to answer as he walks out the door.

"Stay alive." He utters over his shoulder. He pauses on the porch and thrusts a finger at Peter.

"I'm trusting that you won't insult my graciousness by breaking the house rules. You sleep in _your own_bed." He says in warning. Peter narrows his eyebrows at him and we glance at each other before darting our eyes to the floor. Why do I feel like I'm a rebel teenager that's being scolded? Zilocke and Sage leave and Emmeline and I drag our luggage to our rooms. I set up my clothes and return to the living room to find Peter staring at the burning fire in the fireplace.

"Are you hungry?" I ask him. He doesn't seem to hear me and his expression remains unrecognisable. He almost looks annoyed.

"Peter?" I say with more volume.

"What?" He asks in an irritated tone, looking at me. I raise an eyebrow and fold my arms.

"I'm just asking if you want food." I say back sternly. I hear Emmeline walk into the lounge room behind me and Peter flicks his glare to her.

"There won't be food here. I'll go get something." He says, heading for the door.

"What do you mean?" Emmeline calls, standing beside me.

"He's going to get meat, Em." I say, attempting to word it delicately.

"You're going to go kill an animal for dinner? Gross." She says with obvious distaste. Peter seems to grunt as he turns around to face us.

"Would you rather starve?" He says it so forcefully even I'm taken aback.

"Woah. Someone's in a mood." Emmeline snaps, walking over to sit in an armchair and ignore him. I bite my lip as I watch Peter with cautious eyes. He glares back at me and his features soften.

"I- I just..." He groans before letting the fly-screen door shut behind him. "I need to go kill something" He calls back. I walk up to close the front door before joining Emmeline in sitting by the fire.

"Guess I'm going to see what Peter Pan was like before he left Neverland..." She curls up on the armchair, adding, "I have to admit I kind of found that whole evil thing sexy." I roll my eyes and move to my feet, suddenly feeling the urge to escape Emmeline's presence.

"Oh, shut up." I say, walking down the hall to lie down on my bed.

–

When I wake up it's morning and there are loud, squawking birds in the trees near my window. I groan and roll over in my bed, reaching for my phone. When I find it I notice that it's cold and there's no life in it. I open the back to see that the battery is missing. An analogue clock slowly ticks on the wall, revealing that it's 6am in the morning. I slide out of bed and open the curtains to my window. When I do the morning air hits my face and I greet a view that's so surreal that I had previously almost been unable to form it in my head when I recalled the forests of Neverland. The trees are tall with trunks that twist and turn, hinting that they are home to all types of wildlife. There are ferns in with the shrubbery and brightly coloured plants, some with spikes and tendrils and some with umbrella-looking petals. I walk to my wardrobe and dress in some workout gear. I stretch in my room and the feeling brings a smile to my face. After not working out for a while I miss the firmness of my abdomen muscles or the ability to lift heavier things and run faster and further. I creep down that hall and my stomach rumbles, prompting me to move into the kitchen. I glare at a refrigerator stood next to the cabinets and against the wall. Before I even open it I peek in the space between it and the wall. There doesn't seem to be any electrical plugs running into it but the outside is cold to the touch. I swing the door open and greet a fridge full of food. I bring out some of the packets and find myself bewildered as to how Zilocke managed to get food that looks like it's from a store. In the end I decide on making a porridge before I head out for a run through the forest.

Even though it was so long ago, running over the dirt tracks, jumping over tree roots and ducking under branches feels so familiar. Part of me misses having Felix close by in case I trip and fall. I run until my forehead and back are slick with sweat and I'm craving water. I hear running water and I walk along the dirt track until I can see a small waterfall through some trees. When I get to it I cup my hands under the running water and begin to drink. I run some over my head to cool off and I'm just about to head back when I see movement in the corner of my eyes. Through the trees, standing on a cliff edge is Peter. He seems to be just staring out at the ocean before him. I silently walk to the tree edge to say something. I stop when I notice that he has a sharp dagger in his hand. He spins the dagger in his hand a few times while he daydreams. When I get glimpses of his face I notice that he still looks annoyed, like something is on his mind. Suddenly he turns around and thrusts his dagger hand back. He heaves the dagger at a nearby tree and the fright makes me fall on my behind. When I fall I try to catch myself and my wrist takes a lot of the impact. I curse under my breath and grip my aching wrist. Peter doesn't seem to notice me but from here I can see the look in his eyes. He seems to have hit his target on the tree and his face is full of amusement and something else. I haven't seem him have that look since I first came to Neverland. I quickly push myself to my feet and run back in the direction of the cabin.

When I walk in the door the smell of a hot meal comes from the kitchen. I glance to the lounge to see Sage and Emmeline ignoring each other as I head for the dining table. Zilocke is cooking something and when his eyes fall on me he becomes stern.

"Where were you?" He asks.

"I was going for a run, what's the problem?" I ask.

"Don't go wandering, it's dangerous." He says, setting down the ingredients for a chicken salad roll. I roll my eyes at him, moving into a chair.

"Peter says you wanted to speak with me." He says, his tone getting slightly less serious. I think of the locket sitting with yesterday's clothes on the floor of my room. I purse my lips and I feel my knuckles clench. Now is not the time.

"How do you know Sage? She seems young." I say, leaning back on my chair.

"I didn't realise I was appearing friendly enough for you to ask me personal questions." He says, turning his focus on the meal.

"He says as he prepares enough food to feed all of us." I say with a tone. He looks down at all the food he's prepared but shakes his head, ignoring me.

"Hmm, so it's 'personal.' That means she matters to you, obviously. Though to be honest you seem a bit old for her." I add, drumming my fingers on the table.

"That's enough, don't be ridiculous." He says in an annoyed tone. "Why don't you just go away until I'm done?" He asks rhetorically. I stay where I am as I watch him.

"So it's not romantic, hmm." I say, continuing to drum my fingers on the table. "A niece then? I know she's not your daughter because-" I pause, my fingers freezing on the table. I'm still watching him and I notice that he seems to pause what he's doing. He slowly turns around to look at me and I raise an eyebrow.

"Is Sage your daughter?" I ask.


	8. Chapter 8 - A Black Eye

**Chapter 8**

"Yes. She's my daughter." He says, placing the plates of food in the centre of the dining table. I watch him move and I bite my lip, considering what this means. Sage and Emmeline walk into the dining room to join us, seemingly prompted that lunch is served. My eyes fall on Sage as she takes a seat. The others have begun to eat but my appetite goes as soon as Sage removes the cloak from her head. I can't say I'm too surprised when I notice that she looks exactly like me- though it does send a chill down my spine. Emmeline notices it too because she glances from Sage to me about four times.

"Okay, show of hands. Who at this table can transform into a fire-throwing beast?" Emmeline asks loudly, raising her hand.

"Emmeline." I say sternly as Sage and Zilocke look at her in confusion.

"How about we all go around the table and say who we've slept with before?" She says, the amusement visible on her face. Sage seems displeased as she prepares her lunch.

"Emmeline stop it." I add in annoyance. Zilocke shakes his head, his jaw setting. I hear footsteps behind us and Emmeline points at Peter who's just walked in.

"Lena and I have slept with him. What about you Zilocke? Are you strictly a witch guy or have you been enticed by any royal Veelas in the last twenty or so years?" She says, almost laughing at this point.

"Zilocke, what is she talking about?" Sage asks, looking to her father at the end of the table. Peter simply stands by the door with a look of confusion and I feel like I might throw up at any moment. I stand from my seat and my chair drags along the floor loudly. Everyone's eyes move to me and Zilocke looks concerned. I feel myself going light-headed and I have to support myself on the table.

"I'm going." I say, turning around and pushing past Peter. I walk out the front door and begin to head for the trees. My stomach rumbles and a heat rises in my chest. Oh no... not now. I grip at my chest and try to pull my sweater off of me to cool down. I pick up my pace to a run and I feel the transformation begin to take place. My feet and hands stretch and curve at the ends with sharp talons. Wings are forced through the scars on my back and they shred the back of my shirt. With the pain running all through my body I feel myself being lifted into the air as my wings kick into action.

I wake up in some charred dirt surrounded by blackened trees. My clothes are mostly torn off and my body is darkened by soot and dirt. I hear a male voice clear his throat nearby and I crane my neck to look up at Peter. He has a crisp white sheet in his hand as well as a vial of something.

"This will give you your strength back." He says, tossing the bottle so it lands at my side. I drag my hand over to it to uncap the lid and drink down the contents. The potion tastes sweet and it does what he said it would. I feel the power come flooding back into my limbs. For a moment I feel odd being naked in front of Peter but I shake my head to myself as I know better than to be coy. It's nothing he hasn't seen before. I move to my feet and I pull some of the dirt from my hair. Peter walks over with the sheet and he hands it to me, a dark smile on his face. I wrap it around my body and begin to walk back to the path to the cabin. Peter stops me by placing a hand on my hip, his eyes moving to my lips. I push his hand off of me.

"Stop it." I say sternly, hardly in the mood for this. I move to walk off again but this time he wraps his arm around me and holds my chin with his other hand. There is a cold look on his face and it leaves me wide-eyed and surprised. His dark look fades to an amused one with a smile, though I see no humour in it. The man holding me doesn't seem anything like the one I danced with. He presses his lips to mine firmly in a kiss and I stand, unmoving. So many conflicting emotions are pounding in my chest. He must feel that I'm not interested in his kiss because he pulls away from me with a look of confusion. He removes his hand from my chin but he keeps his arm wrapped around me. I stare back at him with a cold look and he furrows his eyebrows.

"Would you stop fighting the possibility of us?" He asks. When I don't respond he moves his free hand to hold my cheek to kiss me again. Our lips meet and I slide my hand up to his neck. I give him a shove and his back meets a tree. His arms move off of me and I press him against the tree, my hand around his neck. His dark smile returns and he grips onto the sheet I'm holding around my body, pulling my body to press against his.

"Finally." He says, his eyes on my body. My eye catches the dagger in his pocket so I remove my hand from his neck and I grab the dagger to hold against his throat in one swift motion. He removes his hands from me and he raises them to his sides defensively. The dark look on his face doesn't fade away.

"I didn't fall in love with the evil, sadist that you were when I met you and I don't care for you now that you're acting like that again. I don't know if it's this island that's getting to you or if somewhere, somehow the shadow is reaching out and taking control of your heart. But I do know this- I won't respect you if you don't respect me back." I utter in warning, all the while pressing the dagger against his neck. The evil look on his face doesn't falter.

"Have it your way then. Emmeline didn't need me to respect her when she invited me into her bed- I bet she'd love a round two." He chuckles maliciously. Before my voice of reason can kick in I allow my free hand to curl into a first and strike Peter in the face. He falls to the ground like a sack and swears loudly as he does so. He grips his eye where it seems to be swelling and I drop the dagger at his side. I tighten the sheet around my body as I walk off to find the cabin.

–

The last time I was in Neverland it was nearly impossible to tell where you're going but this time around it seems there's even more dirt tracks and many of them take you to either a water source or something useful. The sun has set and it's slowly becoming night. After walking around for half an hour I finally find the path that takes me to the cabin. I walk inside and Sage widens her eyes as she sees me wearing nothing but a sheet.

"Oh dear god." I hear Emmeline say as her eyes rest on me. Zilocke walks out from the hallway behind her and he shares Sage's look of bewilderment. I walk past them and into my room to quickly dress in sweatpants and a plain t-shirt. My eye catches my mother's locket so I slide it into my pocket. The whole activity is made difficult because of my throbbing right hand. When I return to the lounge Zilocke is waiting for me. I hold up my right wrist and his look of surprise returns.

"I think I broke my hand." I say, looking at how swollen it is.

"Come sit down." Zilocke says. I follow him and we sit down at the dining table. He takes my hand in his and he raises an eyebrow to me.

"How did you do this?" He asks.

"I fell on it weirdly this morning..." I say with a shrug. He gives me a look of disbelief so I continue.

"And I punched Peter in the face." I add, leaning back on my chair.

"Why?" He sits up with anger on his face. "What did he do to you?" He asks.

"Don't act so surprised. It's this island that's getting to him. You run it so you must have some idea of who he's turning into." I say, snatching my wrist out of his palm. The locket feels heavy in my pocket. Zilocke has sat back looking displeased as he retrieves some ointment, herbs and potions from his pockets. My fingers curl around the chain of the locket and I bring it out to place it on the table. Zilocke's eyes fix on it and he hesitates in placing some - on the table. When his hands are free he picks up the locket,

"What's this?" He asks, clicking it open. He pauses again when he sees his face.

"It was my mothers." I say, staring at him dead in the eye. For seemingly the first time ever, Zilocke appears taken aback. He meets my stare before moving his eyes back to the locket.

"We were old friends." He says finally, clicking it shut and rubbing ointment and a herb between his palms. He takes my swollen wrist and rubs the ointment on it.

"Is that really what you were? Friends?" I ask, unable to keep the judgemental tone from my voice. He doesn't look up at me as he replies but I notice his lips press into a line.

"We were friends at a time when the war between our kinds was at its worst. It was frowned upon." He says.

"Is that why she had to hide her pregnancy?" I ask. Zilocke's eye meet mine.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Maddalena." He says sternly. He withdraws a bandage from his pocket and wraps it securely around my wrist. I go silent as I watch him work and I notice he sends subtle glances my way when he thinks I'm not watching. He then withdraws another vial from his pocket and places it on the table in front of me.

"You should drink this... it will help you sleep." When he says it he returns to his usual demanding state. He sits back in his chair and squares his shoulders, appearing masculine and in charge. I eye off the vial and tilt my head, looking from it to him. He falters in his posture as he looks from the vial to me and in that moment I realise he's not being entirely truthful with me. I send my hand out and knock the potion over. The lid is on it securely so it simply rolls away, loud on the hardwood of the table.

"Lena..." He sighs, watching it roll away.

"Don't call me that. We're not friends- you will address me as Miss Flitwick." I say, moving to my feet. Zilocke stands when I do and as soon as he does it I wonder if he realises he's given another part of himself away. Clearly he's spent time around proper regulation if he stands from the table when a lady does.

"Don't leave yet, I'd like to speak with you." He says with seriousness.

"I won't stay if you're going to continue lying to me." I say, heading for the door way. I hear the front door open forcefully but before I can look to what caused it, my arm is grabbed firmly. Zilocke is holding onto me and he's pulling me to face him.

"Just stop walking away." He says, uneasiness in his voice. I look down to his hand gripping my arm firmly and watch as another male hand grips his arm. I follow the hand to see Peter glaring at Zilocke with a look that could kill.

"Get your hand off of her." Peter says, his eyes narrowed. He has a small line of blood coming from his nose and his left eye is bruised.

"You look horrible." Zilocke says, moving his hand back to his side. Peter says nothing but stands by my side protectively. It makes my want to roll my eyes. Zilocke looks between us.

"I told you to stay away from her, Pan." Zilocke adds, anger creeping into his voice.

"I'm done taking orders from you. Peter Pan does not take orders from anyone." Peter says darkly. Zilocke pushes between us, looking at Peter as he passes.

"You're getting on my last nerve, kid." He says, walking into the lounge room. Peter watches after him as he walks off, Emmeline and Sage watch the scene from their armchairs.

"And you on mine. In fact, I'm done with you entirely." As Peter says it he pulls his dagger from his pocket, his eyes fixed on Zilocke's back. He sends his arm back and I grab for him, shoving and pulling in an effort to get to his weapon. Unfortunately his reactions are quicker and the dagger has already left his hand and it's headed straight for Zilocke.


	9. Chapter 9 - It's Twins

Peter Pan's reactions are incredibly quick but Zilocke has Sage on his side. The dagger halts in mid-air before falling to the ground. Sage is on her feet and her palm is outstretched, a green light bouncing around her fingers. A silence fills the room, the only noise coming from the dagger meeting the hardwood floor. I find myself holding my breath and the calm that goes through me is short-lived. In the next moment there is a flurry of action. Zilocke is shouting at Peter, pulling some sort of weapon from his robe, and Sage is approaching Peter on the offence. Peter's arm moves out for me protectively but he's too forceful and I hit my head on the wall behind me. Pain runs from my neck all the way down my spine and the sound of Zilocke shouting goes muffled. Emmeline is on the side lines shouting for everyone to calm down. Suddenly Sage is at Peter's neck, with the sound of electrical volts coming from her palms. I even begin to feel pangs of pain in my chest, where Peter's arm is placed. Peter's strong arms move away from me and to Sage's body in an attempt to pry her off of him. Zilocke steps forward, slides his arm around Sage's waist and pulls her off of Peter. I find that I've slid down the wall and am sat on the ground in confusion, my hand on the back of my head.

"Lena!" Erupts from Emmeline as she shoves the bodies aside to get to me. She crouches down in front of me and beyond her the others have a considerable amount of space between them and they're looking my way.

"Focus on me, alright?" She says, looking into my eyes. At first I don't understand why she's so concerned but when I get a blurred glimpse of myself in her shiny necklace I notice jet black eyes staring back at me.

"If you go harpy you're going to burn this house down and cook us all. Focus on that for me, okay?" She says, her hands on my arms cautiously. I shake my head in an attempt to clear the fuzziness of my thoughts and I allow her to help me to my feet.

"I'm not going to turn- I think the shock just confused my body a bit." I say. A few pairs of eyes glare at Sage and she furrows her eyebrows before looking to the floor.

"If he hadn't have tried to kill my father I wouldn't have needed to use that spell!" She says, casting an angry look at Peter. Who I know notice seems to be pinned to the wall with some sort of invisible ropes. Peter looks around darkly, seemingly unfazed by our discussion.

"He's not himself. The island is getting to his head." I say, pointing out the vacancy of his stare. "He's been losing himself ever since we got here."

"Well that's too bad because none of you can leave yet, that decision is up to the Elders." Zilocke responds.

"Let me talk to them, I'm sure I can convince them otherwise." Emmeline says.

"We only have a brief window of opportunity to reach them and it's not for another three days." Zilocke replies.

"What the hell kind of system is that? This isn't the middle-ages- surely we've evolved beyond a raven messenger." I say.

"On this island we may as well as be in the middle-ages." Emmeline says with an eye roll.

"Hey! It's not easy to get electrical appliances working here- you should be grateful you're not living in a tent and growing your own dinner." Sage snaps.

"I'd rather sleep in a pig sty than have to live with you." Emmeline retorts quickly.

"That's enough." Zilocke roars, silencing our bickering. "Pan will stay there overnight as punishment and the rest of you will make sure you've eaten and then go to sleep, I've had enough of your arguing." He says, aiming this last statement at Emmeline and Sage.

"Oh you did _not_ just send me to my room." Emmeline begins, walking towards the front door. "In case you've forgotten, I'm not your daughter- those two are." She points towards Sage and I. "I'm going to see the beach." She finishes, letting the door slam behind her. This leaves the rest of us in silence, for Sage, Zilocke and I it's the awkward kind and for Peter it's the dazed and trapped kind.

"So I suppose we should talk about this then." Zilocke says.

"Oh now you're up for a chat?" I ask in annoyance. "Well no thank you, I've decided I'm done for the night." I say, heading down the hallway to my bedroom. As I pass Peter he mumbles something unintelligible and his fingers stretch out in an effort to get to me. I stop to look at his defenceless state and I move my eyes over to a still angry-looking Sage. They stay silent as I head back to the dining table to pick up the potion I had knocked over and I uncap it to feed it to Peter. He drinks it willingly and Zilocke steps forward in wonder as to what I'm doing.

"Release him from your magic. I assume this potion will place him to sleep for a few good hours, he'll be in my room so I can watch over him." I say, looking up at Zilocke.

"I don't think so." He says, shaking his head with furrowed eyebrows.

"If you really don't trust him then chain him to the window and I'll stay out of his reach. I'm not going to let up until I know for sure that he's not in danger." I cast a glance to Sage who purses her lips and walks off to sit on the couch. Zilocke gives up and allows me to lead the very sleepy Peter down the hall to my bedroom. Peter is then secured in one corner of the room with the same invisible magic and I move off to rest on the bed. As I do so Zilocke tries to speak to me again.

"Maddalena, about this whole situation... it's a lot more complicated than you may think." He begins.

"I already told you I don't want to hear it right now." I say, sliding under the covers. Zilocke remains at the end of my bed.

"I don't know what you've heard but I wasn't with your mother when she passed away. I wasn't given the chance to save her." He says, pausing for me to respond. I stay silent, facing away from him on the bed.

"I knew she was pregnant but the Elders told me that our child died with her- at the hand of the witches." He pauses again and I remain silent. Though this time I feel the weight of him sitting on the end of my bed. "Five years later I heard of an anomaly in a witch coven near where I was travelling. They had a set of twins among them but only one was showing signs of magic... the other appeared almost completely human. I knew this particular coven were responsible for the death of the woman I loved and so I wanted nothing to do with them. I had previously sought revenge and it didn't end well." He stops and I feel a stinging in my chest.

"What happened then?" I ask him, still facing away.

"Other business forced me to go to this coven anyway and speak with their leader. I had just begun working as a mercenary at the time and we were settling a deal. Next thing I knew they brought in these two toddlers- with the faces of angels and the same eyes and hair of my sweet Arabella. I knew you were mine immediately. I convinced the coven leader to let it slip that she knew that one of the babies had the blood of a Veela-" He pauses as I cut him off.

"And so you took home precious Sage and left me there." I say, turning around to look to meet his eyes.

"Lena, it wasn't like that." He says with seriousness. "I knew Sage wouldn't last in the human world because she wouldn't be able to hide her powers. But the only hint of difference you had was what your mother had. You had a stare that could enchant- even before you were able to develop the charm. I put you in the human world because I knew there you would have freedom and happiness. I didn't want to let you go but I would have been selfish to keep you from a better life."

"A better life? My true life is in a mansion with money and power and fame as a princess. How is living in ignorance as a weak human better than that?" I ask, sitting up against the head board.

"Your current life is duties and obligations and being told what to do and when to do it. How is this more free than when you were living in the city? I've been watching you, Lena, I've watched you grow up your whole life and I know when you're happy and when you're not. As a human you didn't run the risk of turning into a beast and you weren't told who to marry or what to do with your life. I believe that as your father, I made all the right decisions."

"Don't call yourself that." I feel anger within me but I can't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. "A father is someone who's there for you when you need him. He loves you unconditionally and you love him back equally. He's someone that picks you up when you're down and scares away your nightmares when you're a kid. You are simply the man who got my mother pregnant. You're not my father, now get out." I say sternly. Zilocke looks like he's frustrated but there's something else mixed in. It seems that he's frustrated because he's upset and he's not used to being upset. He stands from the bed and I tear my eyes off him before moving them to look out the window.

I lie there in bed for what feels like forever. The sun sets and casts long shadows on the room. When I feel my eyelids becoming heavy, I hear a noise coming from the corner of the room. I sit up and notice that Peter is stirring. I slide out of bed and walk over to sit near him. He squints his eyes open at me before looking around.

"Get me free, love." He says in a quiet voice. I smirk and shake my head.

"You know I can't do that." I say, leaning forward to run my hand through his hair. He places his hand over mine on his head.

"I'm sorry, I'm not going to hurt you again. Just please let me out of these chains." He says, moving his foot where he's invisibly bound up.

"No." I say gently, moving my hand away from his head. He quickly catches it and pulls me to face him. I brace myself for hostility but instead he looks at me like a wounded animal.

"Then just lie with me?" He asks. I bite my lip and glance to the door. I can see light seeping through the crack at the bottom and from further away in the house I hear footsteps and muffled voices. I get up to drag the blanket off the bed and bring some pillows down for us. Peter accepts his pillow but he's more interested in getting his arms around me. I barely finish pulling the blanket over us when he takes my upper body and gently but firmly presses me against him. I can smell the sweat of his neck and back, as well as a hint of dirt and blood. Strangely, though, I don't mind it. I feel his lips going over my forehead, down my ears and then to my neck. He's smelling me, breathing in my scent, like he did the first ever time he held me. It was when I was trying to escape him when I first came to Neverland. When I think back to who he was then I don't feel love or affection. I remember how evil he was but I know good he is now. Besides, who am I to judge evil? I'm capable of murder if I just get stressed enough. I feel his hand sliding under my clothes, his fingers drag along the bareness of my midriff and I have to place my hands over his to stop him.

"Can't you just lie with me?" I ask in a whisper. He stops and I feel his eyes on me. I don't know if his reckless side is going to come through or not so I brace myself. His fingers tense up but he settles beside me and puts his arms around me again.


	10. Chapter 10 - Returning Home

**Chapter 10**

I'm awoken in the morning by the sound of Sage roughly pushing my door open. I squint my eyes to the bright morning light that's fallen on my face and Sage looks at me judgementally.

"Where is he?" She asks in annoyance. I glance to my side and notice the empty space beside me. I sit up and look around the room.

"You've done it this time." She says, turning and letting the door slam behind her. I move to my feet and hurry down the hall. When I reach her in the dining room she's already talking to Zilocke and blaming me for Peter's escape.

"Calm down, Sage. I'm the one who released him." He says, a mug full of steaming coffee in his hand.

"What? When?" I ask, feeling embarrassed at the thought of Zilocke seeing Peter and I holding each other as we slept.

"Early this morning. We had a chat about his current mental state and decided it's time for him to spend some time alone." He responds.

"Yes, I'm sure _both_ of you were happy with that decision." I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Zilocke looks up at me with careful, watching eyes.

"He can't return here as I've put a barrier around the cabin. This will last until the day after tomorrow when we can contact the Elders." He says.

"That's not going to affect anything, you know she'll just leave the cabin and meet up with him somewhere." Sage says, her English accent getting on my last nerve.

"I've already considered that, Sage." Zilocke says, his eyes moving back to me. Sage pauses and looks to me in realisation of something that I've clearly missed. I look between them before widening my eyes. I quickly leave the room and walk for the front door to swing it open. My foot moves over the threshold of the door way but I'm stopped in my path. I run into some sort of invisible barrier. I can see beyond the front porch but when I press my hands against where the door would be I feel something pushing back against my skin. It feels like a wind pushing constantly in my direction. I step back into the dining room to see Sage with a smug expression. Zilocke appears braced as he can predict the verbal lashing he's about the receive.

"It's on all the exits to the house, even the windows." He adds quickly but sternly.

"You can't keep me prisoner here, I am not under your jurisdiction." I say in warning. Behind me I hear footsteps coming from the porch and into the house. I glance behind me to see Emmeline walking freely through the front doorway.

"I see you're all at each others throats again." Emmeline says, casting a glare at us.

"What makes you think I won't go harpy and tear the walls from the floors? I'll make my own exit through the roof." I warn, leaning against the wall.

"I've considered that as well." Zilocke adds, nodding to my chest. I look down to my shirt and notice a black ink on my skin, sitting over where my heart is. I tug my shirt aside slightly to take in the full sight of the rune tattooed to me.

"What the hell is this?" I ask, standing straight.

"I have to take precautions, Lena. It's only temporary but it can't be removed by anyone but me." He says. I feel ready to scream but I'm beaten to it by Emmeline, who has her jacket pulled aside revealing her own matching tattoo.

"You put one on me as well!?" She asks, wide-eyed and angry.

We all suffer through ten minutes of arguing and knocked over furniture before we each escape to our own space. Emmeline storms off to her room and I do the same to mine. I lie on my bed and watch my bedside alarm clock tick away the hours. I drift in and out of miserable naps until the hours tick over to the afternoon. When I wake up I glance over to the untouched nest of blankets and pillows in the corner. I'm caught in my day dream when I hear a noise on the window. I get up and draw the curtains aside, throwing the window open. Peter stands with pebbles in his hand.

"Hey there." He says, dropping the rocks to the ground.

"I'm afraid there'll be no sneaking out as I'm grounded." I say with a smirk.

"That's too bad, I think I just got my head levelled out." He says, returning my smirk.

"You could always sit by my window and whisper sweet nothings from afar." My lips curl into a flirtatious smile.

"God, I want to kiss you right now." He says with serious eyes, walking towards the window.

"Careful, I don't know what it will do-" I say, pausing when he's able to place his fingers over the window ledge. We both look down at his fingers and he boosts himself up, climbing in through the window. I stare at the window frame in wonder, running my fingers along it.

"Looks like the warden has a blind spot." He says, not moving his eyes off of me. He takes my hand and perches on the windowsill.

"Come on, let's get out of here." He says, sliding his legs out the window. I try to move forward with him but the same forcefield prevents me from leaving. I step back and fold my arms.

"This doesn't make any sense, it doesn't seem like Zilocke to make a mistake. Especially one so obvious..." I say, running a hand through my hair. Suddenly I'm lifted from the ground as Peter murmurs in my ear.

"Who cares?" He asks, pulling me to his chest and walking me over to the bed. I let out a laugh and wrap my arms around him, moving my lips to his.

–

The next couple of days pass quickly. Peter hides in the morning from Zilocke's morning patrol and I avoid speaking to any of them. I spend my afternoons locked away in bed with Peter and I enjoy every minute of it. All the worries of our real lives fade away and I forget any duties I have at the Aerie. I'm running my fingers gently through Peter's hair when three sharp knocks indicate a surprise patrol from Zilocke.

"It's time, Lena. We can contact the Elders." He says. Peter and I break apart and Peter exits through the window. I straighten my hair and clothes in the mirror before opening the door.

"Before we do, I want to talk to you." He says, walking in to the room and looking around.

"What is it now?" I ask him, shutting the door.

"I know Pan has been staying in here." He says, looking at the mess of blankets on the bed. I straighten my posture and my mouth gapes slightly.

"Oh." I say. He nods slowly,

"I found out Sage has been poking holes in my barrier around the house." He says, turning to face me, his hands in his pockets.

"Why would she do that?" I tilt my head, unsure why Sage would do something nice.

"It's out of spite. She's not taking the news well either." He says, moving over to sit on the chest at the end of the bed. I join my hands together and look to the window, feeling slightly awkward. After a moment Zilocke continues.

"I don't want you with him because he's no good." He says, looking up at me. I smirk and shift my weight to my other leg.

"You really can't decide that for me." I say, seriousness in my voice.

"I know I must still seem like a stranger to you, Maddalena, but I wasn't lying when I said I've watched you your whole life. I was always there in the background, looking out for you." He says.

"Oh really? Well then what about when I was taken to Neverland? Where were you then?" I cross my arms.

"I lost you for a short while, I admit, but that doesn't mean I forgot about you. I started my work on getting a portal as soon as you were taken." He says. I shake my head and sigh.

"I was wondering if you would consider coming with me when we get back?" He asks, looking up at me intently.

"You're asking me to run off with you and Sage rather than becoming a queen?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Lena, you're not going to be their queen. I won't allow you to become their pawn like Arabella was." He stands up when he says this. His tone isn't aggressive but it's weary.

"Okay, now we're done with this conversation." I say, moving to the door and throwing it open.

"Lena, stop running away when I try to talk to you." He says, walking towards me.

"I don't 'run away'. And this isn't even talking, this is just you telling me what to do." I say, defensively. Zilocke goes to reply but he pauses when Emmeline clears her throat to get our attention.

"We have visitors." She says. Zilocke walks past her and heads back towards the entrance. I follow him through the house and out to the front where the Elders are standing in front of a portal. Emmeline is at my side when the Elders walk towards us, ignoring Zilocke and Peter who are off to the side.

"Come with us, the issue has been sorted and we need our princesses back." One of the men says.

"What about our luggage?" Emmeline asks, walking with the Elder as he leads her to the portal.

"They'll be collected for you." The same Elder promises. I begin to walk towards the portal but I'm stopped by someone tugging on my arm. Peter pulls me to his side firmly.

"Not this time." He says, looking at me with seriousness in his eyes. I purse my lips as I look up to him.

"I'm not letting you go again, Lena. If you want to be a queen and rule a whole race then you do it, if you want to live in New York and live as a human then you do it... but I won't let you go if I don't have a place at your side while you do." As he finishes another Elder walks up to him and looks at him sternly.

"Get you hand off her, son." The Elder says, grabbing Peter's arm. Instinctively I reach for Peter and pull him to my side again.

"No you get your hands off him. He's your princesses' boyfriend for god's sake." I tell the Elder. The Elder looks displeased as I move my hand down to hold Peter's and we walk into the portal together, meanwhile Peter looks ecstatic.

–

As soon as we cross through the portal the high winds have torn Peter and I apart so we're no longer holding hands. I walk out onto the courtyard of the mansion and see Emmeline and William passionately kissing each other by the doorway. William has his arms tightly wound around Emmeline and she has her hands firmly gripped in his hair, pulling herself closer to him and holding him in place like a bareback jockey on a stallion. I can't help but widen my eyes as I watch them in a daze. I'm so busy watching them that I barely notice Felix has moved up next to me and pushed Finn into my arms.

"He missed you." Felix says with a half-smile. I blink down at the blonde cherub baby in my arms. He's drooling on my shirt but his smile reveals two tiny teeth growing on his gums. The sight of it causes me to smile as well.

"I could get used to holding someone so tiny." I say, moving my lips to kiss along Finn's forehead. Finn squeals in delight and he wriggles around in my arms.

"Careful Felix, she might take him away from you." I hear Peter say from my side. I feel Peter's arm slide around my shoulders and notice the surprise on Felix's face.


	11. Chapter 11 - The Beast and I

"Well if it's Lena, I'm happy to share." Felix says, his eyes on Peter. His hand slides up to my shoulder and he steps closer to kiss Finn on the forehead. I bite my lip and move my eyes carefully to Felix.

"Felix..." I begin, unable to finish as Peter has chimed in.

"I'm not." He says, a serious expression on his face. Felix looks up at him in confusion.

"Peter and I are together now." I tell him steadily. He glances to me and then back to Peter.

"Well I'm happy for you." He says after a moment. I hand Finn back to him and he seems to notice my disbelief.

"Really, I am... Lena knows there's nothing I wouldn't do for her and Pan, you'll always be my brother." His lips curl at the side in a genuine grin and Peter smiles too. They shake hands and Peter pulls him into a careful hug, they have to lean over Finn who giggles at being sandwiched between them.

"Maddalena, come see the nurse, we'll have your injuries looked at." An Elder says from behind me, placing his hand on the small of my back to lead me away. I bring my bandaged hand up and wiggle my fingers, still feeling a sting from them.

"Lena, wait." I hear Zilocke call. The Elder continues to drag me away so I look over my shoulder and raise a hand.

"I'll speak with you later." I call, moving into the mansion. As I'm lead to the nurse I begin to consider how I want to approach this new situation with Zilocke and Sage. I consider my home to be with the other Veela in the aerie, but I can't imagine Peter will want to hang around here forever - I don't know what he'll do if I become high queen. Zilocke won't want to stay here any longer than he has to either, but I'm not quite ready to let him leave. We still have unfinished business. When we get to the spa room a Nyx is sitting on a stool in a white outfit. The Elder leaves us and the Nyx instructs me to lie in the hot herbal bath that's been prepared for me while he completes a healing ritual. I notice off to the side is the large rune-inscribed book that was read from when I was first christened. While he chants in a soft voice and runs some sort of cream over my bruises my mind is filled with questions about the future. Eventually they blur into nothingness and I give into the slumber.

–

"Lena, wake up." I hear Emmeline say, jolting me awake. Some of the bath water splashes out to the marble floor and I glance around frantically.

"I just wanted to let you know that you won. Congratulations." She says. I rub my eyes and she hands me a robe as I step out of the bath. I cover myself and look to the doorway where some luggage bags sit.

"Won what?" I ask.

"Everything. The throne, the crown, the title. I don't want to be matriarch, I resigned." She says, sliding on some silk gloves and turning to walk to the exit. I hurry along beside her.

"What do you mean? You've wanted this since you were born, what happened?" I ask, stopping as she does to pick up her luggage.

"I can't say much, I'm not even allowed to be telling you this. I have to go." She says, stopping to dig into her pocket.

"Is everything okay?" I ask, warning bells going off in my head. From her pocket she withdraws the Queen's Jewel and holds it out for me. I open my palm and she places it in, closing my fingers over it. She leans in close to me and looks at me dead in the eye.

"Get as far away as you can." She utters. I hear footsteps approaching us fast and look up to see William, dressed to go out. He pull me into a hug and kisses my forehead.

"Good luck, we love you." He says, picking up Emmeline's luggage and placing his hand on the small of her back. Emmeline gives me a half-smile to show that she means it and it's then that I know this is serious.

"Will someone just tell me what's going on?" I call to them. They ignore me as they walk hurriedly down the hall and disappear through the door. As soon as they do, a door open in the hall to the left of me and the Nyx nurse and an Elder walk through. Their eyes fall on me and they walk towards me, the Nyx utters something in a low tone to the Elder.

"Is everything okay?" I ask.

"Did you enjoy your healing?" The Elder asks.

"Will you tell me what's going on?" I say, sternly this time. The Elder sighs and looks around us.

"I suppose Emmeline has already told you." He says.

"That she's resigning? Yeah, I gathered." I say, the Nyx rolls up my robe sleeves and inspects the bruises on my arms. They're vaguely in the shape of fingers and I'm reminded of when Peter almost lost his mind and attacked me on Neverland.

"More importantly, that you're becoming our queen. Why don't you get dressed and come to the dining room? We'll all sit down and discuss your future." He says, beginning to turn away.

"And you'll tell me why Emmeline left in such a rush?" I call after him. He turns back to me and nods, an insincere smile on his face. I sigh as the heavy door closes behind him. The Nyx at my side continues to look at my bruises.

"Looks like the cream couldn't lift those." I say with a nod to them. He looks to me with concern.

"I'm sorry, Queen Flitwick, but I have to ask... that Peter Pan that went with you to Neverland... he didn't violate you did he?" The Nyx asks, genuine worry on his face.

"Dear god, no. Do you really think I would allow that to happen?" I pull my arm away from him and roll down my sleeves. "And also, that man is the Queen's boyfriend... I don't want anyone starting nasty rumours about him, am I clear?" I say, pulling my best expression of superiority. He looks to the floor quickly but responds.

"Forgive me again, but... is it really wise to claim a non-Nyx as your partner? As Queen you do have the responsibility of encouraging only Veela-Nyx relationships... lest our race be cross-mixed." He finishes, not looking at me. I feel odd saying it but the anger that comes over me seems to force the words out,

"Remember your place." I hiss. He backs away and continues his apologies until I've left the hallway. I quickly dress in something Cassiopeia or Emmeline would have worn and I put effort into my hair and make-up. My heart is leaping but I'm not sure if what I'm about to go through with is the right choice. Am I really capable of being queen of all these people? I leave my room and the mirror behind before I can talk myself into running away. When I get to the dining room, all the Elders are sat around one end. There is one chair at the opposite end set up for me. As I approach the table all the men stand from their chair and bow their heads for me. They continue standing until I've sat down.

"You look radiant tonight, Queen Maddalena." One of the Elders chimes. It feels odd to hear compliments from them, considering I've spent the last couple of years taking their orders and being criticised. A server Nyx walks in and places a steaming mug of something green in front of me. I scrunch my nose up to is when it's scent hits me.

"It's good for you, my queen. It will settle you." The Nyx assures me. I take a drink from the mug and when the concoction slides down my throat I can almost feel it in my stomach area, swirling around. It's definitely doing something to me. I place the mug down and look across the table at one of the Elders looking at me.

"Finish it." He says, almost sternly. I'm so used to taking their orders that my hand reaches out for the mug and I gulp down the rest, feeling a tingle go down my spine.

"Now we can begin!" The same Elder says. "As you know one of the pressing matters to take care of is the situation with the witches. They grow in number every day while the Veela population dwindles." The Nyx places a map down in front of me that points out where all the Aeries are situated.

"Of course we will have a celebration soon where you can meet the matriarchs of each region," Another Elder chimes in,

"They may have a high station there but they all answer to you."

"We believe an easy way to fix the population numbers is if our high queen acts as an example of a prosperous family." One of them says. I raise an eyebrow, pushing the map aside. The drink by this point has churned in my stomach and I'm feeling very nauseated.

"So you're saying you want me to have lots of children?" I ask them. The same Elder that addressed me before responds,

"Yes. But only with a suitable Nyx to ensure that the children are pure-blood."

"We already have suitors lined up for you to meet." Another Elder says with enthusiasm.

"Hold on," I raise my hand, "This isn't acceptable, you can't simply choose who I marry and have children with. Next you'll be telling me what to name my kids."

"Of course we're not going to name your children for you, my queen, we simply have suggestions. For example, your grandmother's name was Adaline. We all agreed that that would be a fine name for the heir." I open my mouth to protest but have to close it, afraid that I'm going to throw up. What is this drink doing to me?

"The healer informs us that you will be able to conceive as soon as your current situation is dealt with." One of the voices announces. I can't tell who it came from though, as a sharp pain has hit my abdomen.

"What situation?" I ask through a pained voice as I push myself from my seat.

"That bastard baby, of course." The same man says.

"Siegfried!" An Elder says sharply. My pain subsides for only a moment so I look back up at them. They've stood to their feet but they don't seem surprised to see me in pain.

"What does he mean?" I ask, my lips turning into a scowl as my heart sinks. The Elders remain silent before one of them eventually speaks up.

"We couldn't take the chance that the heir is more human than Veela or Nyx." He says, in a tone that says, 'I'm sure you understand.' My insides begin to feel like death and I become suddenly aware that there's a very good reason for that.

"Am I pregnant?!" I call, my talons scratching into the hardwood of the dining table. Most of the Elders back away quickly, in fear that I will go harpy.

"Well not for long. I promise that the pain will pass, my queen, but please calm down." One Elder pleads. I hear another speak in a low tone to him.

"She can't transform, we took care of that." He says in an assured tone. And he's right- I've never felt so much pain, anger, loss and betrayal before in my life. But every time the fire threatens to ignite within me and turn me into a beast, something else calms it and forces me to sit back and allow this evil to happen to my child. I feel the tears streaking down my face and I'm reminded of when Cassiopeia was telling me how Veela are naturally very protective of their children. I feel the cool marble of the floor on my face and find that in my haze I've sunken to the ground to accept defeat.

Suddenly I hear a humming in my ears. When I got dressed I placed the Queen's Jewel around my neck and now it sits in front of my eyes on the floor and sings to me. It's pink hue seems to blind me. I reach out for it and my fingers curl over it. As soon as I do, a shock of energy runs through me, like I've been hit by a lightning strike. The fire picks up and I feel my wings break through my back. One of the Elders lets out a scream and I'm already on my feet, jumping onto the table and conjuring a fireball in my hand. This time isn't like the others; usually when I transform I'm not in the moment- I can't control my actions and I usually won't remember what I've done. In this moment though, the blind rage is welcomed and I force the balls of fire towards the men to envelop them. The beast and I are in unanimous agreement- these men will die and I will be the one to kill them.


End file.
